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SMITHSONIAN    INSTITUTION. 

UNITED     STATES     NATIONAL     MUSEUM. 


THE    GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS, 


BY 


WALTER   JAMES;  HOFFMAN,  M.  D., 

Honorary  Curator,  Ethnological  Museum,  Catholic  University  of  Americc 
Washington,  D.  C. 


From  the  Report  of  the  U.  S.  National  Museum  for  1895,  pages  739-968, 
with  eighty-two  plates. 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT    PRINTING   OFFICE. 
I897. 


THE  GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS. 

% 

BASED  UPON  THE  COLLECTIONS  IN  THE  NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 

HY 

AVAI/rER   JAMES    HOFFMAN,  M.  D., 

Honorary  Curator,  Ethnological  Museum,  Catholic  University  of  America, 
Washington,  1).  C. 


739 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


Page. 

Introduction 749 

The  Eskimo 

Geographic  distribution 752 

Sub  tribes  or  settlements 755 

Population 757 

Early  explorations 758 

Shell  heaps  in  the  Aleutian  Islands 761 

Prehistoric  art 762    „ 

Eskimo  and  cave-men 763   •„• 

Environment 765 

Habitations 765 

Ornaments,  labrets ' 766 

Vrt  facility 767 

Art  iu  general 767 

Materials  employed 773 

Ivory 773    i 

Horn 776 

Bone 777 

Wood 777 

Metals 781 

Skins  of  animals 781 

Tattooing 781 

Instruments  and  colors 782 

Portrayal  of  natural  and  other  objects 790 

Representation  by  synecdoche 798 

Decoration  and  ornamentation 

Decoration  consisting  chiefly  of  lines,  dots,  and  zigzags 800 

Decoration  consisting  chiefly  of  circles ---  800 

Decoration  of  personal  ornaments,  utensils,  etc 

Decoration  of  animal  carvings 

Pictographs  of  domestic  avocations 

of  habitations  and  conveyance 843 

of  utensils  and  weapons 852 

of  preparation  of  food 853 

of  pastimes  and  games 856 

Pictographic  records 872 

Individual  exploits 872 

Hunting  and  fishing 

Travel  and  geographic  features 897 

Combat 901 

Ideography 902 

Pictographs  of  gesture  signs  and  signals 

741 


742  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL   MUSEUM,  1895. 

Page. 

Shamanism 912 

Mythic  animals 912 

Ceremonials 914 

"  individual 920 

Votive  offerings  and  mortuary 927 

Conventionalizing 928 

Comparison 938 

Appendix 947 

Gesture  signs  of  Eskimo 948 

Specimens  referred  to  in  present  paper 958 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PLATES. 

Facing  page. 

1.  Map  of  Alaska 755 

2.  Nomikse'ner,  a  Kavia'gmiut  man "756 

3.  Suku'uk,  a  Kavia'gmiut  man 756 

4.  Nerlung'ner,  a  Kavia'gmint  girl 756 

5.  Unaliua,  a  man  of  Nuwiik 756 

6.  Pnka,  a  young  man  of  Utkiawiu 

7.  Arrow  straight eners 765 

8.  Arrow  straighteners 765 

9.  Thlinkit  neck  ornaments 769 

10.  Kolgnev  Samoyed  walrus  hunters 772 

11.  Walrus  (Rosmarus  obcsus,  Illiger) 

12.  Reindeer  or  Woodland  Caribou  (Rangifer  tarandus  caribou,  Kerr)-- 

13.  Weaving  utensils  of  horn 

14.  Hunting  records  of  horn 777 

15.  Native  knives 777 

16.  Dancing  mask  of  wood 777 

17.  Saws  for  cutting  ivory 

18.  Bone  skin  dressers 784 

19.  Various  forms  of  gravers 785 

20.  Ivory  pipestein  showing  right  and  left  sides 790 

21.  Carved  drill  bows  and  bag  handles 792 

22.  Carved  drill  bows  and  bag  handles 792 

23.  Utensils  of  bone  and  horn 793 

24.  Carved  ivory  bows  and  bodkins 793 

25.  Boxes  of  bone  and  tusk 

26.  Seal  drags  and  bag  handle 794 

27.  Native  model  of  kaiak.     Alaska 

28.  Native  model  of  umiak.     Alaska 797 

29.  Spear  rest.     Point  Barrow 798 

30.  Bone  box  for  shell  money.     Hupa  Indians 

31.  Handles  bearing  primary  forms  of  decorations  . . . 

32.  Decorated  ornaments 

33.  Wooden  tablet.     Papuan  ornamentation 805 

34.  Wooden  boxes  and  case  for  fishing  tackle 

35.  Decorated  utensils  used  by  women 

36.  Ornamented  kantag  handles 809 

37.  Ornamented  drill  bows 

38.  Ornamented  kantag  handles 810 

39.  Bag  handles 

40.  Records  from  bag  handles 

41.  Ornamented  utensils 

42.  Ornamented  utensils 

43.  Ornamented  carvings*    Africa  and  Alaska - 815 

743 


744  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

Facing;  page. 

44.  Knife  sheath.     Tangiers,  Morocco 816 

45.  Roman  lamp.     Carthage 816 

46.  British  imitation  of  Macedonian  stater 820 

47.  Coins  of  Britons  and  Gauls 823 

48.  Ornamented  ivory  jewelry 827 

49.  Decorated  ornaments  and  utensils 828 

50.  Ivory  buckles  and  pendants 828 

51.  Ivory  buckles  or  toggles 828 

52.  Snuff  tubes  and  needlecases 829 

53.  Decorated  hunting  hat.     Katmai  Island,  Alaska 835 

54.  Hat  ornaments  of  bone 836 

55.  Ornamented  bag  handles 840 

56.  Ornamented  animal  effigies 840 

57.  Decorated  animal  forms 841 

58.  Decorated  utensils 842 

59.  Records  on  drill  bows 844 

60.  Records  of  domestic  avocations 844 

61.  Decorated  ivory  pipe 854 

62.  Decorated  ivory  pipe 858 

63.  Decorated  pipestem 859 

64.  Drill  bows  bearing  records 864 

65.  Ornamented  cylindrical  cases 865 

66.  Records  on  ivory  and  bone 866 

67.  Records  of  daily  avocations 866 

68.  Records  on  ivory  rods 878 

69.  Records  on  ivory  rods 884 

70.  Whale  and  seal  hunting  records 892 

71.  Decorated  ivory  pipestem  and  bowl 897 

72.  Mythic  bird  and  whale  on  harpoon  rest 912 

73.  Records  of  Shamanistic  ceremonials 913 

74.  Shamanistic  ceremonials 915 

75.  Petroglyphs  at  Bohuslan,  Sweden 934 

76.  Petroglyphs  at  Bohuslan,  Sweden 934 

77.  Various  forms  of  concentric  circles 933 

78.  Page  from  whaleman's  log  book 935 

79.  Whaler's  record  of  sighting  whales 936 

80.  Eskimo  carvings  of  whale  tails 936 

81.  "History  of  a  year  of  the  Chukch" 938 

82.  Samoyed  reindeer  teams 944 

TEXT  FIGURES. 

Page. 

1.  Wooden  buzz  toy 77g 

2.  Wooden  mask 778 

3.  Dancing  gorget  of  wood 779 

4.  Dancing  gorget  of  wood 780 

5.  Bone-pointed  drill.     Point  Barrow 788 

6.  Iron-pointed  drill.     Point  Barrow 788 

7.  Mouthpiece  for  holding  drill 789 

8.  Mouthpiece  without  wings 789 

9.  Herd  of  reindeer 791 

10.  Herd  of  reindeer 791 

11.  Herd  of  startled  deer - 791 

12.  Herd  of  startled  deer 791 

13.  Herd  of  reindeer 792 

14.  Bird  ..  793 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF   THE    ESKIMOS.  745 

Pago. 

15.  Reindeer 794 

16.  Reindeer 794 

17.  Reindeer 794 

18.  Reindeer.     Point  Barrow 794 

19.  Reindeer.     Norton  Sound 794 

20.  Reindeer.     Kotzebue  Sound 795 

21.  Reindeer.     Kotzebue  Sound 795 

22.  Reindeer 795 

23.  Wolf 795 

24.  Porcupine ' -  795 

25.  Human  form 795 

26.  Two  men  in  close  embrace 795 

27.  Variants  of  tbo  human  form 796 

28.  Various  forms  of  vessels 796 

29.  Whaling  ships  near  pine-covered  shore 797 

30.  Schooner 797 

31.  Sternwheel  steamboat 797 

32.  Umiak 797 

33.  Eskimo  hunter  and  herd  of  reindeer 798 

34.  Natives  armed  with  guns 811 

35.  Seal  head,  showing  teeth -  ...  812 

36.  Seal  tooth  pattern 812 

37.  Tool  of  antlers 813 

38.  Gold  boat  from  Nors,  Denmark 825 

39.  Samoyed  ornament  of  metal 826 

40.  Snow  shovels 833 

41.  Decorated  ivory  carving 834 

42.  Twister  for  working  sinew  backing 835 

43.  Dipper  of  fossil  ivory 835 

44.  Large  knife,  with  ornamented  handle 836 

45.  Chisel,  with  decorated  handle 836 

46.  Seal  dart 836 

47.  Tool  bag  of  wolverine  skin 838 

48.  Etching  of  pudendum 841 

49.  Dwelling  from  Chuckche  year  record 843 

50.  Winter  habitation ;  wood  chopper  at  work 844 

51.  White  men's  habitations 844 

52.  Native  model  of  kaiak 846 

53.  Kaiak '. 847 

54.  Kaiak 847 

55.  Kaiak 847 

56.  Umiak;  Point  Barrow 847 

57.  Umiak 848 

58.  Umiak 848 

59.  Umiak  pursuing  whale 848 

(0.  Umiak 849 

61.  Umiak  with  four  hunters 849 

62.  Umiak , 849 

63.  Railedsledge 850 

64.  Flat  sledge 850 

65.  Small  sledge 850 

66.  Native  drawing  of  sledge 851 

67.  Sledge 851 

68.  Mending  net 852 

69.  Splitting  wood 852 


746  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

Fage 

70.  Picking  berries 863 

71.  Cutting  up  walrus 863 

72.  Cutting  up  reindeer 863 

73.  Cutting  up  reindeer 863 

74.  Catching  fish 864 

75.  Catching  seal  through  the  ice 864 

76.  Spearing  seal 864 

77.  Spearing  seal 864 

78.  Curing  fish 864 

79.  Engraving  on  bone 865 

80.  Athletic  sports 868 

81.  Athletic  sports 868 

82.  Native  making  bow 868 

83.  Natives  wrestling 869 

84.  Football 869 

85.  Gambling 869 

86.  Smoking  pipe 869 

87.  Dance 870 

88.  Dance  and  feast 870 

89.  Natives  visiting  whalers 871 

90.  Whalers  and  visiting  natives 871 

91.  Records  carved  on  ivory 873 

92.  Native  throwing  harpoon *. 874 

93.  Shooting  reindeer 874 

94.  Shooting  reindeer 874 

95.  Hunting  deer 874 

96.  Hunters  after  a  reindeer 875 

97.  Hunter  approaching  walrus 875 

98.  Hunting  score  engraved  on  ivory 875 

99.  Hunting  score  engraved  on  ivory 876 

100.  Arrow  straightener 877 

101.  Record  of  hunt 880 

102.  Hunting  score  engraved  on  ivory 881 

103.  Hunting  score  engraved  on  ivory  _ 882 

104.  Rival  whale  hunters 885 

105.  Whale  hunt 887 

106.  Whale  hunters 890 

107.  Ivory  carving  bearing  pictographs 890 

108.  Fishing  near  the  village 891 

109.  Fishing  with  hook  and  line 892 

110.  Seal  drag 892 

111.  Seal-skin  float 893 

112.  A  walrus  hunt 894 

113.  Alaskan  notice  of  direction 897 

114.  Alaskan  notice  of  direction 897 

115.  Alaskan  notice  of  distress 900 

116.  Alaskan  departure  to  relieve  distress 900 

117.  Walrus  hunter  attacked 901 

118.  Quarrel  over  game 901 

119.  Attack  on  village 902 

120.  Human  figures  making  gestures 903 

121.  Signal  of  discovery 903 

122.  Hunting  signal 904 

123.  Signal  used  by  whalers 904 

124.  Alaskan  notice  of  hunt ..  904 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  747 

Page. 

125.  Alaskan  iiotice  of  departure 905 

126.  Alaskan  notice  of  bunt 905 

127.  Notice  of  departure,  direction,  and  refuge 906 

128.  Starving  hunters 907 

129.  Starving  hunters 907 

130.  Hunting  scene 907 

131.  Signal  of  distress  and  want 908 

132.  Notice  of  departure  to  visit  neighboring  village 909 

133.  Native  speaking  to  dog 910 

134.  Shore  line  or  water  marks 910 

135.  A  captive  whale... 910 

136.  Mythic  serpents 913 

137.  Mythic  animal  devouring  native 913 

138.  Mythic  animal 913 

139.  Mythic  creatures 914 

140.  Ceremonial  dance 915 

141.  Shamanistic  ceremonial 918 

142.  Shaman  curing  a  sick  man  in  the  ceremonial  structure 920 

143.  Shaman  making  incantations : 923 

144.  Shamistic  ceremony 923 

145.  Shaman  exorcising  demon 924 

146.  Votive  offering 927 

147.  Inscription  on  grave  post 927 

148.  Inscription  on  grave  post 928 

149.  Village  and  burial  grounds 928 

150.  Swimming  seals 929 

151.  Habitation 930 

152.  Habitation 930 

153.  Conventional  bearskins 932 

154.  Whale  flukes,  Cape  Nome 937 


THE  GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THH  ESKIMOS. 


By  WALTER  JAMES  HOFFMAN,  M.  D., 

Honorary   Curator.   Ethnological   Museum,   Catholic    University  of  America,   Washing- 
Ion,  1).  C. 


INTRODUCTION. 

In  the  selection  of  appropriate  materials  upon  which  to  inscribe 
his  thoughts,  primitive  man  w-as  governed  to  a  great  extent  by  his 
environment. 

In  a  country  abounding  in  rocks  and  cliffs,  it  was  but  natural  for 
him  to  portray  upon  a  smooth  conspicuous  surface  the  record  of  an 
exploit,  or  a  character  to  direct  his  companions  on  the  right  trail  or 
to  a  convenient  camping  place.  In  that  portion  of  the  West  known 
as  the  "  Great  Plains,"  rock  pictures  are  of  seldom  occurrence.  The 
numerous  tribes  of  many  different  languages  were  hunters  of  the 
buffalo,  and  in  their  frequent  movements  from  place  to  place  found 
the  skin  of  that  animal,  as  well  as  that  of  the  deer,  the  most  con 
venient.  Along  the  shores  of  the  Great  Lakes,  where  the  white  birch 
is  of  frequent  occurrence,  the  Indians  employ  the  bark  of  this  tree  for 
their  mnemonic  and  other  records.  The  bark,  when  fresh,  is  tough, 
and  retains  permanently  the  slightest  markings  indented  or  incised 
upon  it  by  means  of  a  sharply  pointed  bone  or  nail. 

Various  Indian  tribes  employ,  also,  other  substances,  such  as  bone, 
wood,  and  various  arrangements  of  shell  beads,  as  well  as  feathers  and 
textile  substances,  to  convey  special  forms  of  information.1 

The  Iimuit  or  Eskimo  of  Alaska  utilize  the  tusks  of  the  walrus,  and 
in  occasional  instances  the  horns  of  the  reindeer.  The  tusks  are  cut 
longitudinally  into  rods,  upon  the  faces  of  which  delicate  engravings 
or  etchings  are  made,  the  depressions  or  incisions  thus  produced  being 
filled  with  black  or  some  other  color  so  as  to  heighten  the  effect. 

The  Eskimo  of  Greenland,  Labrador,  and  the  remaining  portions  of 
the  Arctic  regions  east  of  the  delta  of  the  Mackenzie  Eiver,  use  flat 
pieces  of  wood  upon  which  to  exercise  their  more  primitive  skill  at  art 
ornamentation.  Although  ivory  is  abundant  in  some  portions  of  the 
Melville  Peninsula,  yet  it  appears  generally  absent  in  the  collections 
from  that  region. 


details  and  history  of  pictography,  see  the  writer's  "  Beginnings  of  Writing." 

D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  New  York,  1895. 

749 


750  EFFORT  OF  NATIONAL  MUSEUM,  1895. 

While  the  accompanying  paper  is  based  chiefly  upon  the  collection 
in  the  United  States  National  Museum,  quite  a  number  of  valuable 
data  were  found  in  the  interesting  collection  of  ivory  records  in  the 
museum  of  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company  in  San  Francisco,  Cali 
fornia. 

In  addition  to  these  two  sources  of  information,  the  writer  was  so 
fortunate  as  to  have  the  services  in  San  Francisco  of  a  native  Alaskan 
half-caste,  who  had  for  a  number  of  years  been  in  the  employ  of  the 
Commercial  Company.  This  man  had  spent  most  of  his  life  in  travel 
ing  among  the  various  settlements  of  southern  Alaska,  chiefly  for  the 
purpose  of  securing  furs  and  peltries  in  exchange  for  goods  desired  by 
the  natives.  Vladimir  Naornoff,  in  addition  to  his  thorough  familiarity 
with  the  Eussian  and  English  language,  was  fluent  in  five  or  six  native 
dialects.  His  keen  observation  of  the  habits  of  the  people  of  the  main 
land,  and  their  various  methods  of  conveying  information  by  recording 
on  different  materials  their  thoughts,  enabled  him  to  interpret  with  ease 
the  numerous  records  in  the  museum  referred  to;  and  he  also  prepared  a 
number  of  sketches  in  imitation  of  records  which  he  had  observed,  and 
which  he  had  been  instructed  to  prepare  and  deposit  at  habitations  at 
which  he  had  called  during  the  absence  of  the  regular  occupants  or 
owners. 

The  primary  studies  relating  to  the  subject  of  the  interpretation  of 
pictographs  were  begun  by  the  writer  in  1871;  and  but  limited  prog 
ress  was  made  until  the  year  1879,  when  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology  was 
organized  and  furnished  the  facility  necessary  to  officially  conduct 
investigations  among  the  various  Indian  tribes  of  the  United  States 
and  British  Columbia,  and  to  visit  nearly  all  known  pictographs  and 
petroglyphs  in  order  to  make  personal  investigations,  comparisons, 
and  to  secure  tracings  and  sketches  thereof. 

In  addition  to  these  researches  in  pictography,  the  gesture  language 
of  the  various  tribes  was  also  studied,  the  latter  frequently  aiding  very 
materially  in  interpreting  obscure  characters,  and  attempts  at  the 
graphic  portrayal  of  gestures  and  subjective  ideas.1 

The  collection  of  gesture  signs  obtained  from  Vladimir  Naomoff,  and 
subsequently  verified,  to  a  great  extent,  by  a  Mahlemut  native  from 
St.  Michael's,  is  appended  hereto,2  in  connection  with  the  list  of  objects 
in  the  National  Museum,  to  which  special  reference  is  made. 

These  gesture  signs  are  of  importance  in  the  study  and  interpreta 
tion  of  many  of  the  Eskimo  records. 

Many  of  these  gesture  signs  are  natural,  and  intelligible  to  most 
people  who  are  known,  on  account  of  peculiar  linguistic  position,  to 
have  knowledge  of  this  mode  of  communication  because  of  their 


'For  names  and  number  of  tribes  visited,  see  Salishan  Bibliography.  J.  C.  Pilling. 
Washington,  D.  C.  [Bulletin  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology]  under  caption  Hoffman, 
W,  J. 

2  Collected  by  the  writer  in  1882,  and  deposited  in  the  manuscript  collections  of  the 
Bureau  of  Ethnology. 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  751 

inability  to  comprehend  tlie  oral  speech  of  surrounding  tribes.  Other 
gestures  were  peculiar  to  these  natives  because  of  the  unique  resources 
of  their  peculiar  environment 5  and  others  again  were  highly  interest 
ing  because  of  the  concept  being  hidden  in  some  old  custom,  shaman- 
istic  ceremonial,  or  individual  practice  of  the  person  having  recourse 
to  a  particular  idea. 

In  a  number  of  the  records  will  be  observed  outlines  of  the  human 
figure,  with  hands  and  arms,  and  sometimes  the  lower  extremities,  in 
curious  and  apparently  unnatural  positions.  Such  portrayals  are 
attempts  at  illustrating  gesture  signs  pictorially,  and  subjective  ideas 
are  thus  indicated — a  step  very  much  in  advance  of  the  ordinary  sys 
tem  of  pictography  as  known  to  and  practiced  by  most  of  the  Indian 
tribes. 

It  is  obvious,  therefore,  that  in  order  to  fully  comprehend  the  inten 
tion  of  a  pictographic  record,  it  is  necessary  to  know  the  artist's  needs, 
his  environment  and  resources,  his  beliefs  and  shamanistic  observ 
ances,  and  as  much  of  the  gesture  language  as  may  be  obtainable. 

From  a  careful  study  of  the  pictographs  of  the  several  Indian  tribes 
and  the  numerous  petroglyphs  and  painted  records  scattered  over 
various  portions  of  the  United  States,  it  is  safe  to  assert  that  a  com 
parison  of  these  with  the  various  artistic  materials  of  the  Eskimo  show 
the  latter  to  be  vastly  superior  to  the  preceding,  especially  in  faithful 
reproduction  of  animal  forms  and  delicacy  of  artistic  execution. 

The  portrayal  of  the  reindeer,  in  particular,  serves  as  an  illustration 
of  the  manner  in  which  the  Eskimo  are  close  observers  as  to  anatomi 
cal  peculiarities,  as  well  as  in  catching  the  expression  indicated  in 
various  attitudes  assumed  by  these  animals  in  grazing,  rising,  running, 
and  in  the  positions  assumed  to  denote  alarm,  fear,  etc. 

In  the  portrayal  of  whales  the  Eskimo  artist  is  also  careful  as  to 
specific  anatomical  features.  The  peculiar  elevation  at  the  spout  or 
blowhole  of  the  "bowhead"  is  especially  indicated,  and  is  character 
istic  of  the  species,  as  that  part  of  the  mammal  is  used  to  raise  and 
keep  open  the  elastic  " granular"  salt  ice  for  breathing  holes  or  for 
spouting. 

The  smaller  whale,  designated  also  as  the  California  gray,  the  "mus 
sel  digger,7'  or  "devilfish,"  is  likewise  specifically  indicated  by  a  more 
pointed  head  and  sharp  flukes,  and  I  can  only  call  attention  to  the 
sharp  flukes  and  conspicuous  fins  of  the  "killer"  to  illustrate  the 
result  of  observation  given  to  it  by  the  native  artist  in  endeavoring 
to  show  graphically  the  part  which,  to  him,  is  a  specific  identification 
of  the  animal. 

In  a  few  illustrations  the  walrus  is  very  carefully  engraved,  and 
although  the  native  result  may  appear  uncouth  and  cumbersome,  yet  a 
comparison  of  the  etchings  with  the  illustration  of  that  animal  will  at 
once  serve  to  show  strikingly  careful  imitation  of  the  original  subject. 
As  to  the  portrayal  of  various  other  animal  forms,  they  are,  generally, 


752  REPORT    OF   NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

sufficiently  true  to  nature  to  admit  of  ready  identification.  The  imita 
tion  of  the  specific  construction  of  the  kaiak  and  the  umiak  is  usually 
excellent,  as  also  the  various  forms  of  dog  sledges  peculiar  to  certain 
localities  in  Alaska  and  faithfully  represented  in  a  number  of  etchings. 
For  the  purpose  of  further  comparison  between  the  Eskimo  portrayal 
and  the  manufactured  vehicle,  several  illustrations  of  the  latter  are 
reproduced  in  figures. 

The  Eskimo  is  not  an  expert  in  portraying  the  human  form.  It  is 
certain  that  in  various  instances  man  is  indicated  by  linear  outlines  or 
incisions  very  much  in  imitation  of  that  of  the  Shoshonian  tribes,  the 
head  being  a  mere  circular  spot,  from  which  is  suspended  a  line  ter 
minating  below  in  two  legs,  and  beneath  the  head  being  attached  two 
lateral  lines  for  arms.  These  extremities  may  be  drawn  in  various 
attitudes,  but  apart  from  the  attitude  no  further  notice  would  be  given 
to  them.  This  forms  a  marked  contrast  as  compared  with  the  same 
idea  as  portrayed  by  various  Algonkian  tribes,  notably  so  the  Ojibwa, 
who  devote  much  artistic  attention  to  the  head,  dress,  and  ornaments 
of  the  character  intended  to  represent  a  human  being. 

The  peculiarity  of  Eskimo  graphic  art  as  compared  with  that  of 
other  peoples  will  be  treated  of  farther  on.  The  subject  forms  the  basis 
of  the  present  paper,  and  was  made  possible  through  the  courtesy  of 
Doctor  G.  Brown  Goode,  Director  in  charge  of  the  United  States 
National  Museum,  and  my  indebtedness  to  Professor  O.  T.  Mason, 
Curator  of  Ethnology  r  is  hereby  gratefully  acknowledged  for  his  val 
uable  suggestions  and  for  placing  at  my  disposal  every  facility  for  the 
careful  examination  of  specimens  in  his  custody,  not  all  of  which,  how 
ever,  were  deemed  of  sufficient  importance  to  illustrate,  as  such  a  pro 
cedure  would  have  resulted  in  considerable  duplication. 

THE    ESKIMO. 
GEOGRAPHIC   DISTRIBUTION. 

The  Eskimauan,  or  Innuit,1  linguistic  family  occupies  the  greater 
portion  of  the  coast  of  Arctic  America,  Greenland,  the  Aleutian 
Islands,  and  a  small  area  of  the  Chukche  Peninsula  of  Siberia.  The 
extreme  points  are  about  3,200  miles  apart,  though  to  follow  the  shores 
would  necessitate  a  journey  of  5,000  miles. 

The  interior  portions  of  the  continent  are  occupied  by  various  Indian 
tribes,  belonging  to  several  conspicuous  linguistic  families,  but  the 
Eskimo,  under  various  designations,  have  always  apparently  confined 
themselves  to  the  seashore  and  the  country  adjacent  thereto,  not 
exceeding  50  miles  inland,  except  in  following  various  river  courses  in 
pursuit  of  game. 

The  easternmost  branch  of  the  Eskimo  is  that  represented  by  natives 


1  Although  the  term  Innuit  is  frequently  employed,  and  may  be   linguistically 
proper,  the  writer  employs  the  more  popular  term,  viz :  Eskimo. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  753 

along  the  north  and  east  coast  of  Greenland,  two  families  being  met 
with  by  Captain  Clavering  in  1823,  north  of  74°  30'.  Captain  Holm 
recently  found  them  on  the  southeast  coast  between  05°  and  66°  north 
latitude.  These  are  said  to  profess  ignorance  of  any  natives  north 
of  them.  On  the  west  coast  of  Greenland  they  extend  to  about  74° 
north  latitude.  General  Greely  found  indications  of  permanent  settle 
ments  in  Grinnell  Land,  near  Fort  Conger,  at  81°  44'  north  latitude. 
Mr.  Henry  G.  Bryant,  in  his  "  Notes  on  the  most  northern  Eskimos,771 
says : 

As  is  well  known,  the  most  northern  Eskimos  were  first  visited  l>y  Sir  John  Ross 
in  1818,  and  he  first  applied  to  them  the  term  "Arctic  Highlanders."  As  the  appro 
priateness  of  this  appellation  seems  quite  questionable  as  applied  to  a  tribe  living 
wholly  on  the  seacoast,  I  have  preferred  to  use  the  term  "most  northern  Eskimos/' 
as  being  more  descriptive  and  appropriate  in  its  character.  This  tribe  inhabits  that 
rugged  strip  of  indented  coast  in  northwest  Greenland  which  extends  for  about 
550  miles  from  Cape  York  to  a  point  somewhat  south  of  the  southern  edge  of  the 
Iluinboldt  glacier.  It  is  a  fact  well  known  that  the  impassible  ice  walls  which  occur 
at  toth  of  these  points  have  thus  far  served  as  effectual  barriers  to  any  extended 
migrations  of  this  tribe.  It  is  owing  to  this  enforced  isolation  that  at  this  late  day 
we  find  here  the  most  typical  of  the  Eskimo  family  groups — a  primitive  tribe  who 
are  but  just  emerging  from  the  Stone  Age,  whose  members  still  dress  in  skins,  eat 
raw  llesh,  and  pursue  their  game  with  the  same  sort  of  rude  weapons  that  their 
forefathers  used  in  prehistoric  times. 

Doctor  Kane,  in  1855,  noted  this  tribe  as  numbering  140,  while 
Mr.  Bryant  remarks  that  Lieutenant  Peary  places  the  census  at  fully 
250. 

On  the  Labrador  Coast  the  Eskimo  extend  southward  to  Hamilton 
Inlet  at  about  55°  30',  north  latitude,  though  it  is  not  so  long  since 
they  were  located  at  the  Straits  of  Belle  Isle. 

On  the  east  coast  of  Hudson  Bay  these  natives  reach  southward  to 
James  Bay  $  while  northward  it  is  on  Ellsmere  Land  and  around  Jones 
Sound  that  Doctors  Boas  and  Bessels  place  the  northernmost  groups 
of  the  middle  Eskimo.  Several  of  the  northern  Arctic  islands  present 
evidence  of  former  occupancy,  but  for  some  unknown  cause  the  natives 
migrated  thence.  The  western  part  of  the  central  region  *of  the  con 
tinent  seems  unoccupied,  and  from  the  Mackenzie  westward  the  coast 
seems  to  have  no  permanent  villages  between  Herschel  Island  and 
Point  Barrow.  This  strip  of  country  is  no  doubt  hunted  over  in  sum 
mer,  as  the  natives  of  the  latter  locality  do  not  penetrate  far  into  the 
interior  for  game. 

The  Alaskan  Coast  from  Point  Barrow  to  the  Copper  Eiver  on  the 
south  is  practically  occupied  by  Eskimo  of  various  villages  or  bands, 
as  will  hereafter  be  more  fully  described. 

The  Aleutian  Islands  are  occupied  to  a  certain  extent  by  a  branch 
of  the  same  linguistic  family,  though  the  dialects  are  unintelligible 
to  the  Eskimo  proper.  Their  distribution  has  been  very  materially 

1  Reprinted  from  Report  of  the  Sixth  International  Geographical  Congress,  held 
at  London,  1805,  p.  3. 

NAT  MUS  95 48 


754  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL   MUSEUM,  1895. 

changed  since  the  advent  of  the  Russians  and  the  establishment  of  the 
fur  trade,  and  at  present  they  are  located  principally  on  a  few  of  the 
largest  islands  only. 

On  the  Asiatic  side  this  family  is  represented  by  the  Yuit,  who  are 
distinct  from  the  Chukche,  or  Tuski  of  authors,  who  are  of  Asiatic 
origin,  and  of  a  distinct  linguistic  group.  The  Yuit  "are  also  a  coast 
people,  and,  according  to  Mr.  Ball,  are  comparatively  recent  arrivals 
from  the  American  side.  Between  the  Siberian  and  the  Alaskan 
coasts  are  the  Diomede  Islands,  a  convenient  stopping  place  for  voy 
agers  between  the  two  continental  points  above  mentioned.  At  these 
islands  Simeon  Deshneff,  in  1648,  found  natives  wearing  labrets  who 
were  at  war  with  the  Tuski.  Similar  reports  were  made  by  Shestakoff, 
in  1730.  Peter  Popoff,  who  visited  the  Asiatic  mainland  about  1711 
for  the  purpose  of  collecting  tribute  from  the  Chukche,  describes  the 
habitations  and  remarks  that  "he  found  among  the  Tuski  ten  of  the 
islanders  wearing  labrets,  who  had  been  taken  prisoners  of  war."1 

Mr.  Dall2  observes  that  the  Tuski  do  not  wear  labrets,  -  hich 
distinguishing  feature,  compared  with  the  Chukche,  was  noticed  by 
Deshneff,  as  well  as  all  subsequent  voyagers.  Both  sexes  tattoo,  not 
only  over  the  face  but  all  over  the  body.  The  women  in  probably  all 
instances  bear  tattooed  vertical  lines  on  the  chin,  a  practice  which  is 
not  followed  by  the  men.  An  illustration  of  tattooing  upon  the  chin 
of  a  Port  Clarence  woman  is  given  elsewhere. 

Concerning  the  representatives  of  the  Eskimo  upon  the  Asiatic  side 
of  Bering  Strait,  the  following  remarks  are  reproduced  from  the  memo 
randa  concerning  "  the  Arctic  Eskimos  in  Alaska  and  Siberia,"  by 
John  W.  Kelly,3  interpreter,  who  says  of  the  ''Siberian  Eskimos:" 

There  are  settlements  of  Eskimos  at  Cape  Tchaplin  (Indian  Point),  Plover  Bay, 
and  East  Cape.  How  long  they  have  been  there  and  how  much  of  the  country  they 
have  occupied  can  only  be  conjectured.  Those  occupying  St.  Lawrence  Island,  Cape 
Tchaplin,  and  part  of  the  shores  of  Plover  Bay,  on  the  mainland  of  Asia,  opposite 
St.  Lawrence  Island,  speak  a  dialect  nearer  like  that  of  Point  Barrow  or  the  Mac 
kenzie  River  than  the  dialects  of  the  Diomedes  or  Kotzebue  Sound.  That  the 
Eskimos  of  Asia  have  been  there  a  great  many  years  is  a  certainty.  The  Deermen 
people,  whose  principal  support  is  domesticated  reindeer,  have  gradually  crowded 
out  the  Eskimo  or  Fishmen,  and  have  almost  absorbed  them  by  assimilation.  They 
wear  no  labrets,  and  in  dress  and  tattooing  are  the  same  as  the  Deermen.  That 
they  have  lived  in  underground  houses  is  abundantly  proved  by  the  ruins  at  Cape 
Tchaplin  of  old  huts  which  have  been  framed  with  the  whole  jaws  of  whales.  Now 
they  live  in  huts  above  ground,  covered  with  walrus  hides.  They  are  built  in  the 
same  manner  as  those  of  the  Deermen,  who  use  a  covering  of  reindeer  robes.  From 
the  Deermen  they  have  also  learned  to  cremate  their  dead,  instead  of  scattering  the 
bodies  over  the  plain,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  American  Eskimos.  Like  the 
American  Eskimos,  they  deposit  the  personal  property  of  the  deceased  at  his  grave. 
If  he  was  a  great  hunter,  they  also  erect  a  monument  of  reindeer  antlers  over  his 


1  Quoted  from  W.  H.  Dall,  "Alaska  and  its  Resources.''     Boston.     1870,  p.  376. 

-  Idem,  p.  380. 

3  Published  in  the  Bureau  of  Education  Circular  of  Information  No.  2, 1890,  p.  8,  9. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895. — Hoffman 


160°       '  '•''''>''  :170* 


MAP 


PLATE 


ALASKA. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  755 

grave.     At  East  Cape,  Siberia,  there  is  a  trace  of  the  Arctic  Eskimos,  but  differing 
from  their  nearest  neighbors,  the  Diometle  people. 

In  the  vicinity  of  East  Cape  there  are  a  few  ruins  of  underground  houses,  and  a 
few  Eskimo  words  are  still  used  by  the  people.  Twenty  miles  westward  from  Cape 
Tchaplin  is  Plover  Bay,  where  both  the  Eskimo  and  Deermen  language  is  spoken, 
but  the  Eskimo  is  on  a  rapid  decline. 

SUBTRIBES   OR   SETTLEMENTS. 

The  Eskimo  of  littoral  Alaska  are  divided  into  a  considerable  num 
ber  of  geographic  divisions,  popularly  designated  as  tribes,  and  are 
here  briefly  enumerated  chiefly  according  to  W.  H.  DalPs  arrangement, 
his  orthography  being  generally  maintained. 

The  accompanying  map  of  Alaskan  and  Asiatic  coasts  will  serve  to 
further  aid  in  locating  the  points  occupied  by  the  various  native  settle 
ments  below  enumerated.  Plate  1. 

The  Aleutians,  properly  so  called,  are  divided  into  two  tribes,  the 
Atkans  and  Unalashkans.  The  former  belong  to  the  western  part  of 
the  archipelago,  and  the  latter  were  originally  confined  to  the  eastern 
portion.  The  original  name  of  these  people  signified,  according  to 
Humboldt,  "People  of  the  East,"  and  they  have  been  regarded  as 
having  originally  come  from  the  continent,  a  reference  to  which  theory 
will  be  made  further  on. 

The  Ugalakmut  [^Aigaruxauriut]1  is  the  southernmost  tribe,  begin 
ning  nearly  at  the  mouth  of  the  Copper  River  and  extend  westward  to 
Icy  Bay.  Some  of  the  eastern  bands  have  become  mixed  by  inter 
marriage  with  the  Thlinkit.  "The  Chugachmuts  occupy  the  shores 
and  islands  of  Chugach  Gulf,  and  the  southwest  coasts  of  the  penin 
sula  of  Kenai."  They  are  few  in  number,  compared  with  the  large 
extent  of  country  they  occupy. 

The  Kaniagmuts  occupy  the  island  of  Kadiak  and  the  greater  por 
tion  of  the  peninsula  of  Aliaska.  This  is  probably  the  most  popular  of 
all  the  Eskimo  tribes.  They  extend  from  Lliamna  Lake  to  159°  west 
longitude. 

The  Oglemuts  occupy  the  Aliaska  peninsula  along  the  northern  coast, 
from  159°  west  longitude  to  the  head  of  Bristol  Bay,  and  along  the 
north  shore  of  that  bay  to  Point  $tolin. 

The  Kiateqamiut  inhabit  the  coast  from  near  the  mouth  of  Nushergak 
River  westward  to  Cape  Newenham.  They  are  the  Nushergagnmts  of 
Dall,  who  remarks  of  them  as  particularly  excelling  in  carving  ivory, 
and  that  most  of  their  weapons  and  tools  are  made  of  this  material. 

The  Kuskwogmuts  "inhabit  both  shores  of  Kuskoqnim  Bay,  and 
some  little  distance  up  that  river." 

The  Agulmuts  extend  "from  near  Cape  Avenoff  nearly  to  Cape 
Romanzoff.  There  are  also  a  number  of  settlements  of  the  same  tribe 
on  the  island  of  Nunivak." 


1  All  words,  or  remarks,  within  brackets  are  added  by  the  present  writer. 


756  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

The  Magemuts  "  inhabit  the  vicinity  of  Cape  Komanzoff,  and  reach 
nearly  to  the  mouth  of  the  Yukon.  They  resemble  their  southern 
neighbors  more  than  they  do  those  to  the  north  of  them.  The  women 
wear  labrets.  The  name  Magemut  signifies  i Mink  people.'" 

The  Ekdgmuts  u  inhabit  the  Yukon  delta  from  Kipniuk  to  Pastolik, 
and  ascend  the  river  as  far  as  Mauki,  some  distance  above  the  mission* 
Those  who  inhabit  the  Kwikhpak  slough  call  the  iselves  Kwikhpagmut, 
a  name  sometimes  applied  to  the  whole  tribe."  A  peculiarity  "  in  many 
of  them  is  the  extreme  hairiness  of  their  persons.  Many  of  them  have 
very  strong  black  beards  and  hairy  bodies^" 

The  Unaligmuts,  or  tlualeet,  "  occupy  the  coast  from  Pastolik  to 
Shaktolik."  They  have  also  been  designated  as  the  Aziagmut. 

The  Mahlernuts  u  occupy  the  coast  of  Norton  Sound  and  Bay  north 
of  Shaktolik  and  the  neck  of  the  Kavidk  Peninsula  to  Selawik  Lake. 
Their  most  eastern  village  is  Atteumut,  and  their  western  boundary 
the  river  which  flows  northward  into  Spavarieff  Bay,  Kotzebue  Sound." 

The  Kaviagmiuts  occupy  the  Kaviak  Peninsula  and  Sledge  or  Aziak 
Island.  "  Many  of  them  pass  the  winter  in  the  southern  part  of  Nor 
ton  Sound,  and  there  is  a  large  Kaviak  village  at  Unalaklik.  *  *  * 
Their  principal  villages  are  Nookmut,  at  Port  Clarence,  and  Knik- 
Tagmut,  on  Golofnina  Bay." 

The  portrait  of  a  Kaviagmiut  man,  aged  33  years,  is  given  in  plate  2. 
He  is  a  very  intelligent  native,  and  is  a  clever  artisan.  Another  type 
of  the  same  tribe  is  shown  in  the  person  of  Suku'ut,  aged  25  years, 
from  the  same  locality,  plate  3.  An  interesting  illustration  of  a  girl 
aged  17  years  is  presented  in  plate  4.  She  has  a  remarkably  clear  skin, 
pink  cheeks,  and  bears  upon  her  chin  the  usual  pattern  of  tattooed 
lines,  extending  downward  from  the  mouth. 

In  plate  5  is  reproduced  the  portrait  of  an  inhabitant  of  the  village 
of  Nuwiik,  at  Point  Barrow.  The  features  are  very  much  less  pleasing 
than  those  shown  in  the  preceding  figures.  Plate  6  represents  a  young 
man  from  the  village  of  Utkiavwifi.1 

The  Oke-ogmuts  are  essentially  the  same  as  the  preceding,  but  the 
name  is  applied  "  by  the  Innuit  to  the  small  and  energetic  tribe  who 
inhabit  the  islands  by  Bering  Strait.  They  carry  on  the  trade  between 
the  two  continents,  and  visit  the  island  of  St.  Michael  every  yeai  for 
the  purpose.  I  have  also  heard  the  same  name  applied  to  the  inhab 
itants  of  St.  Lawrence  Island." 

The  Eskimo  of  the  Point  Barrow  region  are  located,  according  to  Mr. 
Murdoch,2  in  the  villages  of  Nuwiik  and  Utkiavwin.  Nuwtik  signifies 
uthe  Point,"  and  is  a  slightly  elevated  knoll  at  the  extremity ,of  Point 
Barrow,  in  latitude  71°  23'  north,  longitude  150°  17'  west.  Utkiavwin 
signifies  "the  Cliffs,"  is  11  miles  west  from  Nuwiik,  at  Cape  Smyth, 
and  is  also  a  high  ridge.  The  nearest  neighbors  to  the  east  are  those 


1  These  two  portraits  are  reproduced  from  the  Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau 
of  Ethnology  for  1887-88,  1892,  figs.  1  and  4. 

2  Idem,  p.  26. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  2. 


NOMIKSE'NER,   A   KAVIAGMIUT   MAN. 


Report  of  U.S.  National  Museum,   1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  3. 


SUK'UUK,  A  KAVIAGMPUT  MAN.; 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1  895.— Hoffman 


PLATE  4. 


NERLUNG'NER,  A  KAVIAQMIU^  GISL. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895. — Hoffman. 


PLATE  5. 


UNALINA,  A  MAN  OF  NUWUK. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,   1895. — Hoffman. 


PLATE  6. 


PUKA,  A  YOUNG  MAN  OF  UTKIAWIN. 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  757 

at  Ilerscliel  Island,  or  Demarcation  Point,  and  on  the  west  at  a  small 
village  between  Point  Belcher  and  Wainright  Inlet.  The  natives  of 
these  villages  are  so  closely  connected,  says  Mr.  Murdoch,  "  that  they 
are  sometimes  spoken  of  collectively  as  Sidarunmium"  (=  Sidarunmiut). 
"  At  a  distance  up  the  river,  which  Hows  into  Wainright  Inlet,  live  the 
Kunmiun,  'the  people  who  live  on  the  river.'  These  appear  to  be 
closely  related  to  the  first  village  below  Wainright  Inlet,  which  is 
named  Kilauwitawin."  l 

The  people  at  Point  Hope,  according  to  Mr.  Murdoch,  are  known  as 
the  Tikera'fimiun,  u  inhabitants  of  the  forefinger  (Point  Hope)." 

The  natives  along  the  coast  east  of  Point  Barrow  to  and  beyond  the 
Mackenzie  are  often  spoken  of  by  the  Hudson  Bay  traders  as  the  Mac 
kenzie  River  Eskimo.  They  appear  to  be  identical  with  those  described 
by  Father  Petitot  as  the  Tapeopmeut  [=Ta^eo  'meut]  division  of  the 
Tchiglit,  and  are  termed  by  Murdoch  the  Kupfmmiun,  and  inhabit  the 
permanent  villages  at  the  li  western  mouth  of  the  Mackenzie,  at  Shingle 
Point  and  Point  Sabine,  with  an  outlying  village,  supposed  to  be 
deserted,  at  Point  Kay."  Still  another  tribe  is  located  at  Anderson 
River  and  Cape  Bathurst,  not  considered  by  Petitot  as  the  above 
named,  as  he  applies  the  name  Kpagmalit.  Sir  John  Richardson,  the 
first  to  meet  with  them  [1820],  calls  them  u  Kette-garrce-oot.' 


•)")  2 


POPULATION. 

With  reference  to  the  population  of  the  Eskimo  of  the  several  divi 
sions,  only  approximate  figures  can  be  given.  The  Greenland  group, 
consisting  of  seventeen  villages  on  the  east  coast,  are  stated  by  Holm, 
in  1884-85,  to  number  about  550,  while  on  the  west  coast  the  "mission 
Eskimo"  numbered  10,122  in  1886,  and  the  northern  Greenland  Eskimo, 
or  Arctic  Highlanders  of  Eoss,  number  about  200. 

Doctor  Boas  estimates  the  "  Central  or  Baffin  Laud  Eskimo"  at 
about  1,100. 

The  natives  along  the  coast  in  Labrador  are  stated  by  Rink,  Packard, 
and  others,  to  number  about  2,000  souls.3 

The  Alaskan  Eskimo,  comprising  those  of  the  mainland,  as  well  as 
the  few  (40?)  upon  Little  Diomede  Island,  together  with  those  on  St. 
Lawrence  Island  and  the  Aleutian  Islanders,  are  estimated  by  Dall 
and  others  at  about  20,000.' 

This,  excepting  the  Siberian  tribe,  makes  a  total  of  about  34,000 
Eskimo.  What  the  former  population,  before  the  introduction  of  liquor 
and  social  vices,  may  have  been  it  is  impossible  to  conjecture.  It  is 
stated  by  one  author  (Dall)  that  the  Aleutians  formerly  were  estimated 
at  20,000,  but  recently  numbered  only  1,500,  which  figure  has  also  been 
given  by  others,  though  according  to  a  still  later  estimate  these 
islanders  were  put  down  at  2,200. 

1  Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology  for  1887-88, 1892,  pp.  43,  44. 

2  Franklin's  Narrative  of  a  Second  Expedition  to  the  Shores  of  the  Polar  Sea  in  the 
years  1825, 1826,  and  1827.     London,  1828,  p.  203. 

3  Sixth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology  for  1884-85, 1888,  p.  426. 


758  REPORT   OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

EARLY  EXPLORATIONS. 

For  reasons  which  will  hereafter  become  evident,  it  is  necessary  to 
refer  briefly  to  the  several  explorations  made  to  eastern  Siberia,  and 
later  to  the  American  mainland.  In  the  following  historical  references 
I  use  freely  Mr.  Ball's  remarks,  published  in  his  work,  "Alaska  and 
its  Resources,"  of  which  note  has  before  been  made. 

In  the  year  1646,  the  Russians,  under  Isai  Igmitief,  pushed  their 
explorations  to  the  east  of  the  Kolyma  River,  the  mouth  of  which  is  at 
about  latitude  69°  30'  north  and  longitude  161°  30'  east,  and  obtained 
by  barter  from  some  Ohukche  specimens  of  walrus  ivory.  In  the  follow 
ing  year,  1647,  four  small  vessels  sailed  eastward  of  Kolyma,  the  party 
being  under  the  command  of  a  Cossack,  named  Simeon  Deshueff.  The 
object  of  this  expedition  was  to  reach  the  Anadyr  River,  of  which  vague 
reports  had  been  received.  Other  explorers  followed,  but  it  was  not 
until  1648  that  the  northeast  coast  of  Asia  was  passed  and  Bering  Sea 
entered. 

Various  explorers  continued,  from  year  to  year,  to  visit  different  por 
tions  of  the  coast  of  Kamchatka,  but  it  was  not  until  .711  that  a  Cos 
sack,  named  Peter  Iliunsen  Popoff,  arrived  at  East  Cape  with  the 
intention  of  collecting  tribute  from  the  Chukche.  The  visit  proved 
fruitless,  but  Popoff  returned  with  an  account  of  the  Diomede  Island 
ers  and  the  Chukche  account  of  a  continent  which  lay  to  the  east  and 
beyond  these  islands. 

On  account  of  the  interest  manifested  in  these  discoveries,  scientific 
men  succeeded  in  obtaining  the  attention  of  Peter  the  Great,  and 
instructions  for  an  expedition  were  delivered  to  Admiral  Apraxin.  A 
few  days  later  the  Emperor  died,  but  the  Empress,  in  order  to  fulfill  the 
wishes  of  the  deceased  monarch,  ordered  the  execution  of  the  instruc 
tions,  and  Captain  Vitus  Bering  was  nominated  to  command  the  expe 
dition.  Although  the  original  plan  was  formulated  in  1725,  it  was  not 
until  1727  that  Bering  and  his  companions  left  St.  Petersburg.  He 
sailed  past  what  is  now  known  as  St.  Lawrence  Island,  through  Bering 
Strait,  and,  thus  proving  the  separation  of  Asia  and  America,  returned 
to  the  Kamchatka  River  on  the  20th  of  September  without  having  seen 
either  the  Diomede  Islands  or  the  American  Coast.  He  returned  to 
St.  Petersburg  in  1730,  but  again  went  on  a  voyage  of  discovery  and 
landed  on  Bering  Island,  where  he  died  December  8,  1741. 

In  the  meantime  various  other  navigators  and  explorers  had  been 
making  considerable  progress  in  exploring  the  shores  of  Kamchatka 
and  approaching  the  American  Coast.  In  1731  Pavlutski  reached  Cape 
Serdze  Karnan,  in  the  hope  of  securing  from  the  Chukche  some  tribute. 
This  resulted  in  failure,  and  in  the  interim  Gwosdeff  sailed  to  the 
Chukche  Coast;  a  gale  drove  him  eastward,  "  where  they,  found  an 
island,  and  beyond  it  the  shores  of  the  continent  of  America.  They  met 
a  native  in  a  Kyak,  and  sailed  two  days  along  the  coast  without  being 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  759 

able  to  land.  A  storm  came  up  and  they  returned  to  Kamchatka. 
This  completed  the  exploration  of  Bering  Strait,  which  had  been  com 
menced  by  Deshneff  and  his  companions." l 

It  was  not  until  July,  1741,  that  Chirikoff  arrived  off  the  American 
Coast,  near  Cross  Sound.  Boats  were  sent  there  upon  two  occasions, 
and  several  days  later  two  canoes,  filled  with  natives,  came  near  the 
ship,  but  immediately  fled  to  the  shore.  Various  islands  were  seen  by 
Chirikoff  on  his  return  to  Kamchatka.  During  this  visit  21  men  were 
lost,  de  la  Croyere,  the  naturalist,  dying  of  scurvy. 

Bering  saw  land  on  July  2,  and  anchored  near  an  island  two  days 
later. 

Emilian  Bassoff  discovered  the  island  of  Attu,  the  westernmost  of 
the  Aleutian  group,  in  1745.  Glotloff'  discovered  the  island  of  Kadiak, 
or  Kaniag  as  it  was  designated  by  some  of  the  natives,  in  July,  1763. 
These  islanders  were  less  disposed  to  friendliness  and  gave  frequent 
evidences  of  hostility. 

About  1764  Lieutenant  Lynd  was  put  in  command  of  an  expedition 
which  was  organized  under  the  direction  of  the  Empress  Catherine. 
He  did  not  leave  Kamchatka  until  1767,  sailing  from  Ochotsk  toward 
Bering  Strait,  passing  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Lawrence  islands,  saw 
Diomede  Island,  arid  finally  landed  on  the  American  Coast  south  of 
Cape  Prince  of  Wales.  Further  explorations  of  the  peninsula  of 
Alaska  was  made  by  Krenitzin  in  1768. 

Cook  entered  Bering  Strait  in  August,  1778,  and,  on  his  return.froin 
a  voyage  northward,  explored  Korton  Sound  and  Bay.  On  October  3 
he  again  touched  at  Uualashka,  sailed  for  the  Sandwich  Islands,  where 
he  was  killed  by  the  natives  in  1779. 

As  early  as  1788,  Mares  and  Douglas,  supercargoes,  sailed  from 
Macas  to  Kootka  and  to  Cooks  Inlet.  The  Spanish  claimed  the  right 
to  sail  the  Pacific  on  the  northwest  coast  of  America. 

In  1791  Billings  and  Sarycheff  visited  Unalashka,  St.  Paul,  St.  Law 
rence,  Aziak,  and  the  Diomedes;  also  touched  on  the  American  Coast 
near  Cape  Prince  of  Wales,  and  then  anchored  in  St.  Lawrence  Bay 
on  the  Asiatic  side. 

In  1793   the  Empress  of  Russia  issued  an  ukase  authorizing  the 
introduction  of  missionaries  into  the  American  colonies,  and  to  the 
works  of  these  patient  laborers  we  are  indebted  for  many  interesting 
and  valuable  facts  respecting  the  history  of  the  customs  and  manners 
of  that  time.     It  is  singular,  however,  that  although  their  accounts  . 
often  appear  unusually  concise"  and  comprehensive,  the  practice  of  -j 
engraving  upon  ivory  and  bone,  seems  to   have  been  entirely  over 
looked,  or  more  likely  may  not  have  been  in  vogue  among  them.     This  i 
subject,  however,  will  be  further  treated  elsewhere. 

The  natives  of  Point  Barrow  are  said  never  to  have  seen  a  white 
man  until  the  year  1826rwJie_nJthe  barge  of  the  Blossom,  under  Captain 

1  Dall.     "Alaska  and  its  inhabitants,"  p.  299. 


760  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

Beech ey,  visited  their  coast.  They  had,  however,  received  from  south 
ern  neighbors  articles  of  European  manufacture  introduced  by  the 
Russians,  such  as  tobacco,  copper,  and  other  articles,  some  of  which 
were  obtained,  according  to  Murdoch's  statement,1  by  way  of  the 
Dioiuede  Islands  and  Siberia. 

Visits  by  other  navigators  were  made  at  long  intervals,  and  it  was 
not  till  1854  that  the  first  whaling  vessel  came  to  the  Point. 

Although  the  Point  Barrow  natives  are  provided  with  firearms,  they 
would  be  unable,  by  means  of  these  alone,  to  obtain  any  seals,  "  as 
their  own  appliances  for  sealing  are  much  better  than  any  civilized  con 
trivances."  l  Mr.  Murdoch,  whom  I  have  here  quoted,  states  furthermore 
that  "all  are  now  rich  in  iron,  civilized  tools,  canvas  and  wreck  wood, 
and  in  this  respect  their  condition  is  improved.7'  Nevertheless,  in  so  far 
as  the  graphic  art  is  concerned,  they  appear  to  be  considerably  behind 
the  natives  of  Bristol  Bay  and  Norton  Sound. 

The  eminent  Danish  antiquarian,  Doctor  Henry  Rink,2  in  his  remarks 
'on  the  probable  origin  of  the  Eskimo,  speaks  of  their  former  location 
in  Greenland  as  follows: 

According  to  the  sagas  of  the  Icelanders,  they  were  already  met  with  on  the  east 
coast  of  Greenland  about  the  year  1000,  and  almost  at  the  same  time  011  the  east  coast 
of  the  American  continent.  Between  the  years  1000  and  1300,  they  do  not  seem  to 
have  occupied  the  land  south  of  65°  north  latitude,  on  the  west  coast  of  Greenland, 
where  the  Scandinavian  colonies  were  then  situated.  But  the  colonists  seem  to 
have  been  aware  of  their  existence  in  higher  latitudes  and  to  have  lived  in  fear  of 
an  attack  by  them,  since,  in  the  year  1266,  an  expedition  was  sent  out  for  the  pur 
pose  of  exploring  the  abodes  of  the  Skra'lings,  as  they  were  called  by  the  colonists. 
In  1379  the  northernmost  settlement  was  attacked  by  them,  eighteen  men  being 
killed  and  two  boys  carried  off  as  prisoners.  About  the  year  1450  the  last  accounts 
were  received  from  the  colonies,  and  the  way  to  Greenland  was  entirely  forgotten 
in  the  northern  country. 

Doctor  Rink  says  that  the  Eskimos  of  southern  Greenland  present 
features  indicating  "mixed  descent  from  Scandinavians  and  Eskimo," 
the  former,  however,  not  having  left  any  sign  of  influence  of  their  cul 
ture  or  nationality  upon  the  present  natives. 

In  1585  Greenland  was  discovered  anew,  by  John  Davis,  who  found 
it  inhabited  exclusively  by  Eskimo. 

In  the  work  before  cited,3  Doctor  Henry  Rink  remarks: 

Recent  investigations  have  revealed  differences  between  the  Eskimo  tribes  which 
indicate  that,  after  having  taken  their  first  step  to  being  an  exclusively  maritime 
people,  they  have  still  during  their  migrations  been  subjected  to  farther  develop 
ment  in  the  same  direction,  aiming  at  adapting  them  especially  for  the  Arctic  coasts 
as  their  proper  home.  The  farther  we  go  back  toward  their  supposed  original 
country,  the  more  of  what  may  be  considered  their  original  habits  we  find  still  pre 
served.  In  the  general  history  of  culture  these  variations  must  certainly  appear 
trifling,  but  still  I  believe  that  a  closer  examination  of  them  will  throw  light  on  the 
question  how  the  most  desolate  and  deterring  regions  of  the  globe  could  become 

1  Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology  for  1887-88,  1892,  p.  53. 
-The  Eskimo  Tribes.     Copenhagen  and  London.     1887. 
3 Idem,  pp.  3-5. 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  761 

peopled.  The  solution  of  this  problem  is  facilitated  by  the  fact  that  the  whole 
Eskimo  nation  lias  been  less  exposed  to  that  contact  with  other  peoples  which  else 
where  renders  such  investigations  more  complicated.  These  variations  are  among 
the  Eskimo  more  exclusively  due  to  natural  influences  to  which  the  wanderers  were 
exposed  during  their  btruggle  for  existence,  and  which  partly  gave  rise  to  new  inven 
tions,  partly  led  only  to  the  abolishment  of  former  habits.  In  some  instances  also 
these  external  influences  evidently  occasioned  decay  where  the  severity  of  the 
climate  in  connection  with  the  isolation  and  the  fewness  of  inhabitants  almost 
exceeded  the  bounds  of  human  endurance. 

Doctor  Rink  endeavors  to  show  from  this  point  of  view  "the  peculiar 
ities  of  the  tribes  iii  the  different  domains  of  culture  agree  with  the 
supposition  that  the  original  Eskimo  inhabited  the  interior  of  Alaska; 
that  apart  from  the  true  Eskimo  a  side  branch  of  them  in  the  farthest 
remote  period  peopled  the  Aleutian  Islands,  whereas  people  of  the 
principal  race  later  settled  at  the  river  mouths,  spreading  north 
ward  along  Bering  Strait  and,  hiving  off  some  colonies  to  the  opposite 
shore,  proceeded  around  Point  Barrow  to  the  east,  the  Mackenzie  River, 
over  the  central  regions  or  Arctic  Archipelago,  and  finally  to  Labrador 
and  Greenland.  This  dispersion  may  have  taken  thousands  of  years; 
they  can  only  have  proceeded  in  small  bands,  very  much  as  still  they 
are  used  to  move  about  during  certain  seasons.  Their  only  way  of 
procuring  subsistence  in  the  vast  deserts  they  passed  over,  excluded 
the  possibility  of  national  migrations  on  a  larger  scale.  While  in  this 
way  they  continued  to  discover  new  countries,  some  families  were 
induced  to  go  farther;  others  remained  and  finally  gave  rise  to  the 
present  scattered  settlements.  But,  in  proposing  this  hypothesis,  I  con 
sider  it  a  matter  of  course  that  Alaska  as  the  original  home  of  the 
Eskimo  is  not  to  be  taken  in  the  strictest  sense,  absolutely  excluding 
adjacent  parts  of  the  continent  toward  the  east.  But  as  to  the  other 
theory,  that  the  Eskimo  should  have  emigrated  from  Asia  by  way  of 
Bering  Strait  and  found  the  Indian  territory  already  occupied  by  the 
same  natives  as  now,  this  objection  must  be  separately  taken  into  con 
sideration  in  connection  with  the  facts  bearing  in  favor  of  the  former." 

SHELL   HEAPS   IN   THE   ALEUTIAN   ISLANDS. 

The  only  important  researches  regarding  prehistoric  remains  in 
Alaska  and  the  Aleutian  Islands  are  those  of  Mr.  Ball.1  He  remarks 
that  the  "  shell  heaps  are  found  on  nearly  all  the  islands  of  the 
Aleutian  group.  They  are  most  abundant  and  extensive  in  the 
islands  east  of  Unalashka,  and  on  the  few  islands  from  Amchitka  east 
ward,  which  are  less  high  and  rugged  than  the  others,  or  on  those 
where  the  greater  amount  of  level  land  is  to  be  found.  The  two  neces 
saries  for  a  settlement  appear  to  have  been  a  stream  of  water  or  a 
spring,  and  a  place  where  canoes  could  land  with  safety  in  rough 


"On  succession  in  the  shell  heaps  of  the  Aleutian  Islands.     Contributions  to  North 
American  Ethnology,  I,  1877,  p.  43. 


762  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

weather.  Where  these  are  both  wanting,  shell  heaps  are  never  found, 
and  rarely  when  either  is  absent." 

From  careful  examinations  made  by  Mr.  Ball,  he  deems  it  proba 
ble  that  the  islands  uwere  populated  at  a  very  distant  period;  that  the 
population  entered  the  chain  from  the  eastward;  that  they  were,  when 
first  settled  on  the  islands,  in  a  very  different  condition  from  that  in 
which  they  were  found  by  the  first  civilized  travelers,"  etc.  It  is 
furthermore  suggested  by  this  writer  that  there  was  a  later  wave  of 
population;  that  the  former  people  "were  more  similar  to  the  lowest 
grades  of  Iiinuit  (so-called  Eskimo)  than  to  the  Aleuts  of  the  historic 
period,"  and  that  the  stratification  of  the  shell  heaps  shows  a  tolerably 
uniform  division  into  three  stages,  characterized  by  the  food  which 
formed  their  staple  of  subsistence  and  by  the  weapons  for  obtaining 
as  well  as  the  utensils  for  preparing  the  food. 

The  stages  are — 

I.  The  littoral  period,  represented  by  the  Echinus  layer. 
II.  The  fishing  period,  represented  by  the  Fishbone  layer. 

III.  The  hunting  period,  represented  by  the  Mammalian  layer. 

In  concluding  his  impressions  respecting  the  shell  heaps,  the  author 
concludes  by  saying  "that  those  strata  correspond  approximately  to 
actual  stages  in  the  development  of  the  population  which  formed  them, 
so  that  their  contents  may  approximately,  within  limits,  be  taken  as 
indicative  of  the  condition  of  that  population  at  the  times  when  the 
respective  strata  were  being  deposited.*7 

PREHISTORIC   ART. 

With  reference  to  specimens  of  art  or  ornament,  Mr.  Ball 1  remarks : 

The  expression  of  esthetic  feeling,  as  indicated  by  attempts  at  ornamentation  of 
utensils  or  weapons  or  by  the  fabrication  of  articles  which  serve  only  for  purposes 
of  adornment,  is  remarkably  absent  in  the  contents  of  the  shell  heaps.  As  a  whole, 
this  feeling  became  developed  only  at  the  period  directly  anterior  to  the  historic 
period.  It  was  doubtless  exhibited  in  numerous  ways,  of  which  no  preservation 
was  possible,  so  that  the  early  record,  even  for  a  considerable  period,  would  be  very 
incomplete.  We  know  that  great  taste  and  delicate  handiwork  were  expended  on 
articles  of  clothing  and  manufactures  of  grass  fiber,  which  would  be  entirely 
destroyed  in  the  shell  heaps,  and  of  which  only  fragmentary  remains  have  been 
preserved  on  the  mummies  found  in  the  latest  prehistoric  burial  caves  and  rock 
shelters.  * 

There  are  some  articles  used  on  the  kyak  which  are  usually  made  of  bone,  and 
often  preserved  in  the  upper  mammalian  stratum,  and  upon  which  some  attempts  at 
'ornamentation  were  bestowed.     These  are  little  pieces  of  bone  or  ivory,  in  general 
shape  resembling  a  kneeling  figure,  with  one  or  two  holes,  through  which  cords  are 
passed.  The  latter  were  in  some  cases  carved  to  represent  figures  of  ani 

mals.  Another  species  of  ornamentation  is  elsewhere  alluded  to  in  the  flat  thin 
strips  of  bone  which  were  fastened  to  the  wooden  visor  worn  in  hunting.  These 
were  frequently  ornamented  with  typically  Innuit  patterns  of  parallel  lines,  dots, 
concentric  circles,  with  zigzag  markings  between  them  and  radiating  lines.  All 

1  On  succession  in  the  shell  heaps  of  the  Aleutian  Islands,  in  Contributions  to  North 
American  Ethnology,  I,  1877,  p.  43. 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  763 

these  were  in  black,  on  the  white  basis  of  the  bone  or  ivory.  *     *     The  mark 

ings  can  seldom  be  accurately  described  as  marks  of  ownership.  I  have  never  seen 
any  definite  mark  or  ornament  of  this  nature  among  the  Aleuts  or  Western  Inuuits. 
They  readily  recogni/e  their  own  utensils  or  weapons  without  any  such  aid,  and  I 
believe  the  theory  of  "  marks  of  ownership/'  "  batons  of  command/'  and  such  like, 
has  been  stretched  far  beyond  the  point  of  endurance  or  accuracy,  at  least  among 
writers  on  the  Innuit.  Drawings,  engravings  on  bone  or  wood,  and  pictures  of  any 
kind,  so  far  as  I  have  observed,  are  all  subsequent  to  the  period  covered  by  the 
shell  heap  deposit.  They  are  invariably  quite  modern,  though  the  taste  for  them 
is  now  widely  spread  among  the  Innuit,  especially  those  of  the  regions  where  ivory 
is  readily  procured.  The  coloration  of  wooden  articles  with  native  pigments  is  of 
ancient  origin,  but  all  the  more  elaborate  instances  that  have  come  to  my  knowledge 
have  marks  of  comparatively  recent  origin. 

ESKIMO   AND   CAVE   MEN   OF   FRANCE. 

In  his  "Alaska  and  its  Besources,"  Mr.  Dall  presents  several  illus 
trations  of  drawings  on  bone,  very  ordinary  specimens  and  limited 
to  poorly  executed  figures  of  men  hunting.  These  are  given  merely 
to  indicate  to  the  reader  the  general  appearance  of  the  etching  of  the 
Eskimo.  It  is  related  in  this  connection,  however,  that  these  drawings 
are  analogous  to  those  discovered  in  France  in  the  caves  of  Dordogne. 
The  numerous  specimens  of  prehistoric  art,  both  incised  and  carved, 
which  have  been  given  by  Messrs.  Lartet  and  Christy  in  their  work 
entitled  Eeliquiaj  Aquitanicae,1  are  familiar  to  most  archaeologists,  so 
that  no  reproduction  of  plates  or  illustrations  is  deemed  necessary  in 
the  present  instance. 

Mr.  W.  Boyd  Dawkins,2  an  acknowledged  authority  on  the  antiquity 
of  man  in  Europe,  remarks  at  length  upon  the  possible  and  in  fact 
probable  identification  between  the  cave  men  and  the  Eskimo.  In  his 
conclusions  upon  comparisons  between  the  respective  arts,  forms  of 
weapons,  apparently  similar  modes  of  living,  etc.,  he  says: 

On  passing  in  review  the  manners  and  customs  of  all  the  savage  tribes  known  to 
modern  ethnology,  there  is  only  one  people  with  whom  the  cave  men  are  intimately 
connected  in  their  manners  and  customs,  in  their  art,  and  in  their  implements  and 
weapons.  The  Eskimo  range  at  the  present  time  from  Greenland  on  the  east  along 
the  shores  of  the  Arctic  Sea  as  far  to  the  west  as  the  Straits  of  Bering,  inhabiting  a 
narrow  littoral  strip  of  country,  and  living  by  hunting,  fishing,  and  fowling.  The 
most  astonishing  bond  of  union  between  the  cave  men  and  the  Eskimo  is  the  art  of 
representing  animals.  Just  as  the  former  engraved  bisons,  horses,  mammoths,  and 
other  creatures  familiar  to  them,  so  do  the  latter  represent  the  animals  upon  which 
they  depend  for  food.  On  the  implements  of  the  one  you  see  the  hunting  of  the  urns 
and  the  horse  depicted  in  the  same  way  as  the  killing  of  the  reindeer  and  walrus  on 
the  implements  of  the  other.  *  *  All  these  points  of  connection  between  the 

cave  men  and  the  Eskimo  can,  in  my  opinion,  be  explained  only  on  the  hypothesis 
that  they  belong  to  the  same  race.  To  the  objection  that  savage  tribes  living  under 
the  same  conditions  might  independently  invent  the  same  implements,  and  that 
therefore  the  correspondence  in  the  question  does  not  necessarily  imply  a  unity  of 
race,  the  answer  may  be  made  that  there  are  no  savage  tribes  known  which  use  the 
same  set  of  implements  without  being  connected  by  blood.  The  ruder  and  more 

1  London,  1875,  pp.  204.     PI.  87.     Three  maps  and  132  woodcuts.     Quarto. 
2 "Early  Man  in  Britain,"  1880,  p.  233. 


764  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

common  instruments,  such  as  flakes,  and  in  a  lesser  degree  scrapers,  are  of  little  value 
in  classification ;  but  where  a  whole  set  agrees,  intended  for  various  use,  and  some  of 
them  rising  above  the  most  common  wants  of  savage  life,  the  argument  as  to  race  is 
of  considerable  weight.  It  is  still  further  strengthened  by  the  identity  of  art.  The 
articles  found  in  the  caves  of  Britain,  Belgium,  France,  or  Switzerland  differ  scarcely 
more  from  those  used  in  west  Georgia  than  the  latter  from  those  of  Greenland  or 
Melville  Peninsula. 

From  these  considerations  it  may  be  gathered  that  the  Eskimos  are  probably  the 
representatives  of  the  cave  men,  and  protected  within  the  Arctic  Circle  from  those 
causes  by  which  they  have  been  driven  from  Europe  and  Asia.  They  stand  at  the 
present  day  wholly  apart  from  all  other  living  races,  and  are  cut  off  from  all  both 
by  the  philologer  and  the  eraniologist.  Unaccustomed  to  war  themselves,  they  were 
probably  driven  from  Europe  and  Asia  by  other  tribes  in  the  same  manner  as  within 
the  last  century  they  have  been  driven  farther  north  by  the  attacks  of  the  Red 
Indian. 

The  theory  that  the  peoples  of  the  circumpolar  regions  might  be  the 
descendants  of  the  ancient  cave  dwellers  of  France  has  been  enter 
tained  not  only  by  Mr.  Dawkins,  Among  other  arguments  employed 
are  (1)  the  apparent  similarity  of  environment,  and  that  as  the  south 
ernmost  margins  of  the  receding  ice,  in  glacial  times,  slowly  moved 
northward,  the  ancient  cave  people  continued  their  migration  in  that 
direction  until  their  present  location  was  reached;  (2)  the  general 
resemblance  in  the  carved  weapons  and  utensils  of  reindeer  horn,  and 
also  some  of  the  portrayals  of  animal  forms  which  occur  thereon. 

From  evidence  based  upon  investigations  by  Doctor  liink,  and  the 
arch  geologic  indications  noted  by  Mr.  Dall  and  others,  the  Eskimo 
are  believed  to  have  become  a  littoral  people  in  America  by  expulsion 
from  some  interior  regions  of  North  America,  such  expulsion  having 
been  brought  about  through  the  northward  expansion  of  the  Athabas 
can  tribes  toward  the  northwest  and  the  Algonkian  tribes  toward  the 
northeast.  Even  within  historic  times  the  Eskimo  occupied  a  much 
more  extensive  coast  line  southward  on  the  Atlantic  than  at  present, 
and  it  is  impossible  to  conjecture  what  may  not  have  been  the  southern 
limits,  in  prehistoric  times,  with  reference  to  the  first  theory  above 
named. 

It  is  believed  by  some  geologists  that  as  the  glaciers  of  western 
Europe  gradually  receded,  the  direction  of  migration  of  the  prehistoric 
people  was  toward  the  British  Isles,  the  Scandinavian  Peninsula,  and 
Lapland.  The  theory  of  their  passage  across  to  Greenland  does  not 
appear  to  be  supported  by  any  prehistoric  remains,  such  as  one  would 
hope  to  discover  after  the  recovery  of  the  great  amount  of  excellent 
material  indicating  a  peculiar  advancement  in  the  arts  of  fashioning 
weapons  and  utensils  of  ivory  and  horn.  Neither  does  there  survive 
anything  in  Greenland  but  the  simplest  type  of  artistic  decoration  on 
ivory  or  bone,  such  as  lines,  dots,  etc.,  which  is  characteristic  of  the 
Eskimo  everywhere,  excepting  in  Alaska,  where  the  greater  develop 
ment  was  due  to  other  causes,  which  will  be  mentioned  farther  on. 

Neither  is  there  apparent  evidence  that  the  Eskimo  came  across 
Bering  Strait,  as  the  survivors  of  the  ancient  cave  men  of  Europe. 


Report  of   U    S.  National  Museum,  1  895.  — Hoffman. 


PLATE  7. 


ARROW  STRAIGHTENERS. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    7. 


1      2      3 


Fig.  1.  ARROW  AND  SPEAR  STRAIGHTENED. 

(Cat.  No.  44383,  U.  S.  N.  M.     From  Cape  Nome,  Alaska.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  2.  ARROW  AND  SPEAR  STRAIGHTENER. 

(Cat.  No.  45109,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Sledge  or  Aziak  Island,  Alaska.     Collected  by  E.  AY.  Nelson. 

Fig.  3.  ARROW  AND  SPEAR  STRAIGHTENER. 

(Cat.  No.  44745,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Sledge  Island,  Alaska.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 


Report  of   U    S.  National  Museum,  1895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  8. 


ARROW  STRAIGHTENERS. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    8. 


Fig.  1.  ARROW  AND  SPEAR  STRAIGHTENER. 

(Cat.  No.  63723,  U.  S.  X.  M.     Diomcde  Islands,  Alaska.     Collected  by  E.  AV.  Nelson  ) 

Fig.  2.  ARROW  AND  SPEAR  STRAIGHTENER. 

(Cat.  No.  43958,  U.  S.  X.  M.     Nubuiakchngaluk,  Alaska.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  3.  ARROW  AND  SPEAR  STRAIGHTENER. 

/Cat,  No.  44274,  U.  S.  X.  M.     Capo  Darby,  Alaska.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  765 

With  regard  to  the  second  theory,  it  would  be  strange  indeed  if 
there  were  not  some  general  similarities  between  the  weapons  and 
utensils  of  two  distinct  uncivilized  peoples  when  both  used  the  same 
materials — reindeer  horn — for  such  articles;  and,  furthermore,  the 
attempted  portrayal  of  animals  of  like  genera  -would  naturally  produce 
results  of  very  general  likeness. 

Finally,  it  has  been  suggested,  and  the  burden  of  proof  appears  to 
indicate,  that  the  development  of  pictographic  art  among  the  Alaskan 
Eskimo  was  attributable  to  their  contact  with  the  Kussians;  and  that,  L 
although  these  natives  preserved  a  limited  degree  of  culture  as  to 
decorating  by  simple  lines  and  dots  their  weapons  and  a  few  other  arti 
cles  of  daily  use,  yet  the  objective  representation  of  any  animate  or 
other  forms  is  believed  to  have  been  adopted  since  the  earliest  visits  of 
civilized  man  to  the  Alaskan  Coast. 

Several  Alaskan  utensils,  however,  used  as  arrow  and  spear  straight- 
eners  are  here  illustrated  in  plate  7,  figs.  1,  2,  and  3,  and  plate  8,  figs. 
2  and  3,  and  are  apparently  similar  to  some  like  remains  from  the  caves 
of  France  figured  by  Messrs.  Lartet  and  Christy. 

Upon  closer  examination  it  will  be  observed  that  besides  the  simi-  < 
larity  of  form,  due  chiefly  to  the  reason  that  both  types  are  of  similar 
materials,  the  representation  of  animal  forms  by  engraving,  or  incision, 
appears  to  belong  to  a  different  school  of  artistic  work,  if  such  a  term 
may  here  be  employed;  a  a sketchy"  outline  of  an  animal  frequently 
consisting  of  but  a  few  suggestive  incisions  here  and  there,  as  in  very 
modern  nineteenth  century  art  work,  producing  an  effect  in  several 
instances  as  the  reindeer  figured  by  Lartet  and  Christy  in  their  work 
before  cited,  which  artistic  products  appear  atoo  artistic"  for  the 
culture  status  of  cave  men  such  as  are  portrayed  in  the  deductions  of 
the  gentlemen  above  quoted  by  W.  Boyd  Dawkius  and  others  who 
have  followed  up  the  same  theme.  The  work  of  the  cave  men  is  appar 
ently  vastly  superior  in  one  respect  to  that  of  the  Eskimo,  and  again 
from  another  aspect  inferior  to  it — inferior  in  various  ways,  as  will  be 
learned  by  a  perusal  of  the  results  attained  by  the  Eskimo  in  the  rep 
resentation  of  both  objective  and  subjective  ideas,  as  well  as  an 
advancement  toward  conventionalization  beyond  that  practiced  by  peo 
ples  who  are  apparently  further  advanced  in  other  respects. 

ENVIRONMENT. 

So  many  narratives  relating  to  the  life  and  social  conditions  of  the 
Eskimo,  as  well  as  to  the  topographic  peculiarities  of  the  countries 
occupied  by  the  various  subdivisions  of  this  people,  have  been  pub 
lished  at  various  times  and  by  various  authorities,  that  anything 
further  in  this  connection  would  be  superfluous,  especially  in  a  paper 
devoted  more  particularly  to  the  graphic  arts. 

The  habitations  and  clothing,  such  as  are  required  in  an  unusually 
inhospitable  climate,  are  both  illustrated  in  the  native  pictography. 


7G6  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL,    MUSEUM,  1895. 

The  forms  of  habitations  are  more  particularly  referred  to  elsewhere, 
and  various  native  representations  are  reproduced  for  the  sake  of  com 
parison  both  as  to  artistic  merit  as  well  as  indicating  personal  or  tribal 
variations  dependent  on  climatic  requirements. 

The  styles  of  clothing  are  not  often  referred  to  in  Eskimo  etchings, 
tattooing  and  labrets  being  sometimes  indicated  in  carvings,  as  well 
as  in  incised  characters.  Some  interesting  carvings,  with  delicate 
artistic  touches  to  accentuate  the  effects  of  tattooing,  are  given  else 
where. 

ORNAMENTS   AND   LABRETS. 

In  some  of  the  etchings  are  portrayed  the  outlines  of  human  figures — 
in  various  attitudes,  though  especially  as  if  in  the  act  of  dancing — to  the 
rear  portion  of  the  body  of  which  are  attached  little  tail-like  append 
ages  resembling  tails  of  animals. 

This  may  be  explained  by  quoting  Captain  Beechey,1  as  in  his  refer 
ence  to  the  natives  found  northward  of  Cape  Prince  of  Wales,  within 
4£  miles  of  Schismareif  Inlet,  he  states  that,  in  addition  to  certain 
described  articles  of  clothing,  "they  have  breeches  and  boots,  the 
former  made  of  deer's  hide,  the  latter  of  seal's  skin,  both  of  which 
have  drawing  strings  at  the  upper  part  made  of  seahorse  hide.  To 
the  end  of  that  which  goes  round  the  waist  they  attach  a  tuft  of  hair, 
the  wing  of  a  bird,  or  sometimes  a  fox's  tail,  which,  dangling  behind 
as  they  walk,  gives  them  a  ridiculous  appearance,  and  may  probably 
have  occasioned  the  report  of  the  Tschutschi,  recorded  in  Muller,  that 
the  people  of  this  country  have  *  tails  like  dogs.' " 

Among  the  trimmings  and  ornaments  attached  to  the  clothing  the 
Point  Barrow  Eskimo2  also  attach  at  the  back  the  tail  of  an  animal, 
usually  a  wolverine's.  "Very  seldom  a  wolf's  tail  is  worn,  but  nearly 
all,  even  the  boys,  have  wolverine  tails,  which  are  always  saved  for  this 
purpose  and  used  for  no  other.  The  habit  among  the  Eskimo  of  western 
America  of  wearing  a  tail  at  the  girdle  has  been  noticed  by  many 
travelers,  and  prevails  at  least  as  far  as  the  Anderson  River,"  where  it 
was  noticed  by  Father  Petitot,  who,  in  describing  the  dress  of  the 
"chief,"  remarks  "par  derriere  il  portait  aux  reins  une  queue  epaisse 
et  ondoyante  de  renard  noir." :5 

Captain  Beechey4  first  observed  lip  ornaments  at  Schismaeff'  Inlet,  a 
short  distance  north  of  Cape  Prince  of  Wales,  and  thence  northward 
to  Point  Barrow,  seemingly  a  common  practice  along  this  coast.  "These 
ornaments  consist  of  pieces  of  ivory,  stone,  or  glass,  formed  with  a 
double  head,  like  a  sleeve  button,  one  part  of  which  is  thrust  through 
a  hole  bored  in  the  under  lip.  Two  of  these  holes  are  cut  in  a  slanting 
direction  about  half  an  inch  below  the  corners  of  the  mouth.  The 


1  Narrative  of  a  Voyage  to  the  Pacific  and  Bering's  Strait,  London,  I,  1831,  p.  248. 

2  Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  1887-88,  1892,  p.  138. 

3  Monographic,  p.  xiv. 
«  Idem,  p.  249, 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  767 

incision  is  made  when  about  the  age  of  puberty,  and  is  at  first  the  size 
of  a  quill.  As  they  grow  older,  the  natives  enlarge  the  orifice,  and 
increase  the  size  of  the  ornament  accordingly,  that  it  may  hold  its 
place.  In  adults  this  orifice  is  about  half  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  will, 
if  required,  distend  to  three-quarters  of  an  inch.77  The  same  practice 
in  every  respect  is  also  observed  at  Chamisso  Island,1  a  short  distance 
from  the  above  locality,  and  further  reference  concerning  the  natives  is 
quoted  from  the  same  authority  as  follows:  "They  readily  disengaged 
these  lip  ornaments  from  their  lips,  sold  them,  without  minding  the 
least  inconvenience  of  the  saliva  tfrat  flowed  through  the  badly  cica- 
triced  orifice  over  the  chin;  but  rather  laughed  when  some  of  us 
betrayed  disgust  at  the  spectacle,  thrusting  their  tongues  through  the 
hole  and  winking  their  eyes.'7 

ART    FACILITY. 

Mr.  Alfred  C.  Haddon,  in  his  admirable  work  on  "  Evolution  in  Art,'72 
remarks  of  the  early  methods  of  conveying  information  between  one 
man  and  another,  where  oral  or  gesture  language  are  impossible,  that 
pictorial  delineation  must  be  resorted  to;  and  further,  that  "probably 
one  of  the  earliest  of  this  needs  was  that  of  indicating  ownership,  and 
it  maybe  that  many  devices  in  primitive  implements  and  utensils  have 
this  as  one  reason  for  their  existence,  although  the  nature  of  the  orna 
mentation  may  be  owing  to  quite  a  different  reason.77 

It  is  not  of  rare  occurrence  to  find  upon  the  arrows  and  other  pos 
sessions  of  our  native  Indian  tribes  various  marks  by  means  of  which 
individual  property  may  be  identified;  and  among  some  of  the  pueblo 
Indians  decorated  pottery  bears  "maker7s  marks77  in  such  manner  that, 
although  the  tribe  at  large  may  not  recognize  the  maker  of  any  par 
ticular  decorated  vessel,  yet  such  a  specimen  will  at  once  be  identified 
as  originating  in,  or  with,  a  certain  family,  and  when  application  is 
made  at  the  designated  abode,  the  individual  will  there  be  pointed 
out,  or  named  if  absent. 

It  seems  possible  that  the  various  markings  upon  the  weapons  from 
the  Alaskan  shell  heaps  may  have  served  as  "  property  marks,77  and  it 
would  appear,  also,  to  have  been  found  expedient  for  the  native  sea 
going  hunters  to  devise  and  adopt  some  sort  of  a  system  by  means  of 
which  they  might  be  enabled  to  identify  and  recover  any  stray  or  float 
ing  weapon,  or  the  animal  in  which  such  weapon  might  be  found,  or 
possibly  both. 

Mr.  Haddon  remarks  that  "  the  beautifying  of  any  object  is  due  to 
impulses  which  are  common  to  all  men,  and  have  existed  as  far  back  as 
the  period  when  men  inhabited  caves  and  hunted  the  reindeer  and 
mammoth  in  western  Europe.773  Apparently  the  oldest  markings  thus 

1  Father  Petitot,  Monographic,  p.  250. 

2  "  Evolution  in  Art,"     London,  1895,  p.  203. 
aldem,  pp.  3,  4. 


768  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,   1895. 

used  consisted  of  simple  lines  and  punctures  or  perforations,  such  as 
are  found  at  present  among  the  Greenland  and  Labrador  Eskimo, 
though  among  the  latter  small  carvings  are  also  beginning  to  be  more 
abundant. 

In  his  reference  to  the  Kauiags,  Mr.  Ivan  Petroff l  says  they  use 
whale  spears  about  G  feet  in  length,  armed  with  slate  points.  "  Upon 
the  point  of  his  spear  each  hunter  carves  his  mark  to  enable  him  to 
claim  his  quarry." 

Mr.  L.  M.  Turner  informs  me  that  Eskimo  property  marks  are  unknown 
to  him,  although  each  hunter,  or  maker  of  weapons,  will  recognize  his 
own  workmanship,  as  well  as  that  of  others,  by  different  peculiarities 
of  individual  skill.  Among  the  sea-otter  hunters  of  the  Aleuts,  they 
do  have  marks  by  which  the  detachable  point  of  the  otter  spear  may 
be  known.  "This  point  is  often  copper,  obtained  from  copper  bolts  from 
a  Russian  vessel  long  ago  stranded  on  their  shore 5  and  as  the  spear  is 
made  with  exquisite  skill,  the  point  is  also  delicate  and  of  particular 
form,  so  that  a  difficulty  would  arise  as  to  whose  spear  point  strikes 
nearest  the  nose  of  the  creature.  In  its  struggles  the  point  is  torn 
loose  from  the  strong,  yet  slender,  sinew  line  holding  it  to  the  spear. 
Another  thrower  may  succeed  in  striking  it  and  capture  the  otter,  but 
he  whose  point  is  nearest  the  nose  may  claim  the  skin.  A  fair  degree 
of  liberality  is  usually  manifested  in  such  instances."2 

The  residence  in  Point  Barrow  of  Mr.  Murdoch — extending  over  a 
period  of  perhaps  three  years — afforded  him  ample  opportunity  to  study 
the  art  of  the  Eskimo  of  that  northernmost  extremity  of  Alaska.  In 
his  report  before  mentioned  he  remarks: 

The  artistic  sense  appears  to  be  much  more  highly  developed  among  the  western 
Eskimo  than  among  those  of  the  east.  Among  the  latter,  decoration  appears  to  be 
applied  almost  solely  to  the  clothing,  while  tools  and  utensils  arc  usually  left  plain, 
and  if  ornamented  are  only  adorned  with  carving  or  incised  lines.  West  of  the 
Mackenzie  River,  and  especially  south  of  Bering  Strait,  Eskimo  decorative  art 
reaches  its  highest  development,  as  shown  by  the  collections  in  the  National  Museum. 
Not  only  is  everything  finished  with  the  utmost  care,  but  all  wooden  objects  are 
gaily  painted  with  various  pigments,  and  all  articles  of  bone  and  ivory  are  covered 
with  ornamental  carvings  and  incised  lines  forming  conventional  patterns. 

There  are  in  the  collections  also  many  objects  that  appear  to  have  been  made 
simply  for  the  pleasure  of  exercising  the  ingenuity  in  representing  natural  or  fanci 
ful  objects,  and  are  thus  purely  works  of  art.  As  would  naturally  be 
expected,  art  at  Point  Barrow  occupies  a  somewhat  intermediate  position  between 
the  highly  developed  art  of  the  southwest  and  the  simpler  art  of  the  east. 
It  will  be  noticed  that  whenever  the  bone  or  ivory  parts  of  weapons  are  decorated, 
the  ornamentation  is  usually  in  the  form  of  incised  lines  colored  with  red  ocher  or 
soot.  These  lines  rarely  represent  any  natural  objects,  but  generally  form  rather 
elegant  conventional  patterns,  most  commonly  doable  or  single  borders,  often  joined 
by  oblique  cross  lines  or  fringed  with  short  pointed  parallel  lines.  v  *  * 

The  only  decorative  work  in  rnetal  is  to  be  seen  in  the  pipes  and  their  accompany 
ing  picks  and  fire  steel. 


1  Keport  on  the  population,  industries,  and  resources  of  Alaska,  Tenth  Census. 
1880,  VIII,  p.  142. 
2 Personal  letter  of  date  of  May,  1896. 


Report  of   U.  S.  National  Museum,  1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  9. 


NECK  ORNAMENTS. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    9. 

PENDANTS  OF  BONE  USED  BY  SHAMANS  FOR  ORNAMENTING  NECKLACE. 

(Cat.  No.  168371,  IT.  S.  N.  M.     Thlingit  Indians.     Collected  by  Lieut.  G.  F.  Eminons,  U.  S.  N.) 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  769 

Mr.  Dall  remarks  that  the  forms  in  general  of  the  Eskimo  are  very 
much  alike  throughout  the  entire  area  occupied  by  this  people;  but  he 
continues  in  another  place,  "  Similar  drawings  are  common  everywhere 
among  the  lunuit,  while  I  have  never  seen  among  the  Tenneh  tribes  of 
the  northwest  any  similar  specimens  of  art." l 

Since  the  time  of  Mr.  Ball's  researches  in  Alaska,  however,  vari 
ous  specimens  of  Thlinkit  art  designs  have  been  received  by  the 
National  Museum.  Several  of  these,  consisting  of  neck  ornaments,  are 
reproduced  in  plate  9,  figs.  1  to  6,  and  bear  purely  Eskimo  forms  of 
ornamentation  obtained  through  the  medium  of  intertribal  traffic,  to 
which  other  reference  is  made  in  connection  with  trade  routes  or  culture 
routes. 

The  ornamentation  of  utensils,  articles  of  personal  adornment,  and  of 
weapons  is  limited  among  the  Eskimo  eastward  of  Alaska  to  lines  and 
dots  in  various  combinations.  Carvings  occur  also,  small  figures,  both 
flat  and  in  imitation  of  the  animals  with  which  the  artist  is  familiar. 
The  engraving  upon  ivory  and  bone  for  the  purpose  of  recording  hunt 
ing,  fishing,  and  other  exploits  and  pursuits,  appears  to  be  entirely 
absent  in  the  east,  being  confined  to  the  natives  of  Alaska,  the  Siberian 
Eskimo — the  Yiiit — and  recently  copied  by  other  neighboring  peoples. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Chamisso  Island,  a  short  distance  above  Cape 
Prince  of  Wales,  Captain  Beechey2  found  various  kinds  of  utensils, 
weapons,  and  other  manufactures  of  the  natives,  upon  some  of  which 
were  engraved  various  objects,  to  which  he  refers  as  follows : 

On  the  outside  of  this  and  other  instruments  there  were  etched  a  variety  of  figures 
of  men,  beasts,  birds,  etc.,  with  a  truth  and  character  which  showed  the  art  to  be 
common  among  them.  The  reindeer  were  generally  in  herds.  In  one  picture  they 
were  pursued  by  a  man  in  a  stooping  posture  in  snowshoes;  in  another  he  had 
approached  nearer  to  his  game,  and  was  in  the  act  of  drawing  his  bow.  A  third 
represented  the  manner  of  taking  seals  with  an  inflated  skin  of  the  same  animal  as 
a  decoy;  it  was  placed  upon  the  ice,  and  not  far  from  it  was  a  man  lying  upon  his 
belly  with  a  harpoon  ready  to  strike  the  animal  when  it  should  make  its  appearance. 
Another  was  dragging  a  seal  home  upon  a  small  sledge;  and  several  baidars  were 
employed  harpooning  whales  which  had  been  previously  shot  with  arrows ;  and  thus, 
by  comparing  one  with  another,  a  little  history  was  obtained  which  gave  us  a  better 
insight  into  their  habits  than  could  be  elicited  from  any  signs  or  imitations. 

Mr.  John  Murdoch,3  in  quoting  Mr.  L.  M.  Turner  that  the  natives  of 
Norton  Sound  keep  a  regular  record  of  hunting  and  other  events 
engraved  upon  drill  bows,  remarks  that  "  we  did  not  learn  definitely 
that  such  was  the  rule  at  Point  Barrow,  but  we  have  one  bag  handle 
marked  with  whales,  which  we  were  told  indicated  the  number  killed  by 
the  owner."  Several  specimens  are  then  referred  to  as  having  figures 
incised  upon  them,  colored  both  in  red  or  in  black,  together  with  very 
small  illustrations  of  the  bow,  upon  which  the  figures  are  so  greatly 


1  Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology  for  1887-88,  1892,  p.  238. 

2  Idem,  p.  251.     (Visit  made  in  1826.) 
:i  Idem,  p.  177. 

NAT  MUS  95 49 


770  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

reduced  as  to  be  of  no  value  in  the  study  of  pictographic  representa 
tion  of  objects,  ideas,  or  gestures. 
Mr.  Murdoch l  remarks  furthermore : 

The  ouly  thing  that  we  saw  of  the  nature  of  numerical  records  were  the  series  f 
animals  engraved  upon  ivory,  already  alluded  to.  In  most  cases  we  were  unable  to 
learn  whether  the  figures  really  represented  an  actual  record  or  not,  though  the  hag 
handle  already  figured  was  said  to  contain  the  actual  score  of  whales  killed  hy  old 
Yu'ksina.  The  custom  does  not  appear  to  be  so  prevalent  as  at  Norton  Sound.  ' 
With  one  exception  they  only  record  the  capture  of  whales  or  reindeer.  The  excep 
tion  presents  a  series  of  ten  bearded  seals.  The  reindeer  are  usually 
depicted  in  a  natural  attitude,  and  some  of  the  circumstances  of  the  hunt  are  usually 
represented.  For  instance,  a  man  is  figured  aiming  with  a  bow  and  arrow  toward  a 
lino  of  reindeer,  indicating  that  such  a  number  were  taken  by  shooting,  while  a 
string  of  deer,  represented  without  legs  as  they  would  appear  swimming,  followed 
by  a  rude  figure  of  a  man  in  a  kaiak,  means  that  so  many  were  lanced  in  the  water. 
Other  incidents  of  the  excursion  are  also  sometimes  represented.  On  these  records 
the  whole  is  always  represented  by  a  rude  figure  of  the  tail  cut  off  at  the  " small, '; 
and  often  represented  as  hanging  from  a  horizontal  line. 

We  also  brought  home  four  engraved  pieces  of  ivory,  which  are  nothing  else  than 
records  of  real  or  imaginary  scenes. 

The  above  remarks,  with  the  description  of  the  four  specimens  else 
where  reproduced,  comprise  about  all  the  attention  that  this  interesting 
subject  appears  to  have  received  during  a  three  years'  residence  at 
Point  Barrow  among  natives  who  surpass  almost  any  other  peoples  in 
North  America  in  the  graphic  arts. 

It  is  fortunate  that  the  National  Museum  has  in  its  possession  the 
rich  collections  made  by  Messrs.  Nelson  and  Turner,  both  of  whom 
appreciated  the  value  of  such  material  and  availed  themselves  of  the 
opportunity  of  securing  it,  as  well  as  information  pertaining  to  the 
interpretation  of  many  of  the  pictographic  ideas  shown. 

In  his  medical  and  anthropological  notes  relating  to  the  natives  of 
Alaska,  Doctor  Irving  C.  Rosse2  remarks: 

Some  I  have  met  with  show  a  degree  of  intelligence  and  appreciation  in  regard  to 
charts  and  pictures  scarcely  to  be  expected  from  such  a  source.  From  walrus  ivory 
they  sculpture  figures  of  birds,  quadrupeds,  marine  animals,  and  even  the  human 
form,  which  display  considerable  individuality  notwithstanding  their  crude  delinea 
tion  and  imperfect  detail.  Evidences  of  decoration  are  sometimes  seen  on 
their  canoes,  on  which  are  found  rude  pictures  of  walruses,  etc.,  and  they  have  a 
kind  of  picture  writing  by  means  of  which  they  commemorate  certain  events  in 
their  lives,  just  as  Sitting  Bull  has  done  in  an  autobiography  that  may  be  seen  at  the 
Army  Medical  Museum. 

\Vhen  we  were  searching  for  the  missing  whales  off  the  Siberian  coast,  some 
natives  were  come  across  with  whom  we  were  unable  to  communicate  except  by 
signs,  and  wishing  to  let  them  know  the  object  of  our  visit,  a  ship  was  drawn  in  a 
notebook  and  shown  to  them  with  accompanying  gesticulations,  which  they  quickly 
comprehended,  and  one  fellow,  taking  the  pencil  and  note  book,  drew  correctly  a  pair 
of  reindeer  horses  on  the  ship's  jib  boom — a  fact  which  identified  beyond  doubt  the 
derelict  vessel  they  had  seen.  *  *  * 

1  Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology  for  1887-88,  1892,  p.  361. 
-Cruise  of  the  Revenue-Cutter  Cor  win  in  Alaska  and  the  Northwest  Arctic  Ocean, 
in  1881.     Washington,  D.  C.,  1883,  p.  37. 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  771 

The  above  named  author  furthermore  refers  to  natives  making  pencil    ' 
and  pen -and-ink  sketches,  one  in  particular  having  taught  himself  by 
copying  from  the  "  Illustrated  London  News."    These  sketches, "  though 
c  .'editable  in  many  respects,  had  the  defects  of  many  Chinese  pictures,    i 
being  faulty  in  perspective."    Doctor  Eosse  concludes  by  saying: 

As  these  drawings  equal  those  in  Doctor  Rink's  book,  done  by  Greenland  artists,  I 
regret  my  inability  to  reproduce  them  here.  As  evidences  of  culture,  they  show 
more  advancement  than  the  carvings  of  English  rustics  that  a  clergyman  has  caused 
to  be  placed  on  exhibition  at  the  Kensington  Museum. 

Doctor  Henry  Rink l  says : 

The  art  exhibited  by  the  Alaska  Eskimo  in  ornamenting  their  weapons  and  uten 
sils  is  often  mentioned  in  travelers'  reports  from  the  time  when  they  were  first 
visited  by  Europeans.  To  their  skill  in  carving  and  engraving,  we  must  join  this 
taste  displayed  in  the  same  way  in  making  their  clothing.  Again,  when  we  pass 
from  Alaska  to  the  east,  we  see  this  relish  for  the  fine  arts  declining,  and  in  western 
Greenland  proofs  of  it  have  been  rather  scarce.  But  the  latest  expedition  to  the 
east  coast  of  this  country  has  discovered  that  a  small  isolated  tribe  here  in  the  vast 
deserts  of  the  extreme  east  almost  rivals  the  Alaska  artists  with  respect  to  carving 
in  bone  and  ornamenting  their  weapons  and  utensils.  The  chief  difference  is,  that 
in  Alaska,  engravings  illustrating  human  life  and  the  animals  of  the  country  are  the  • 
most  popular  objects  of  the  artist,  whereas  the  east  Greenlanders  excel  in  small 
reliefs  representing  for  the  most  part  animals  and  mythological  beings  grouped 
together  and  fastened  with  admirable  taste  and  care  to  the  surface  of  the  wooden 
implements. 

With  reference  to  the  arts  of  the  Eskimo  of  Greenland,  Doctor 
Henry  Kink2  remarks: 

It  must  be  noticed  that  though  the  present  Greenlanders  appear  to  have  a  pretty- 
fair  talent  for  drawing  and  writing,  scarcely  any  traces  of  the  arts  of  drawing  and 
sculpture  belonging  to  earlier  times  remain,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  small 
images  cut  out  in  wood  or  bone,  which  have  probably  served  children  as  play 
things.  The  western  Eskimo,  on  the  other  hand,  displayed  great  skill  in  carving 
bone  ornaments,  principally  on  weapons  and  tools. 

Drawings  made  by  Greenland  Eskimo  for  Doctor  Sink  greatly 
resemble  the  American  schoolboys'  efforts.  A  recent  production  of 
preciseiy'liko  character  in  almost  every  respect  is  from  the  island  of 
Kolguev,  and  reproduced  herewith  in  plate,  together  with  the  following 
explanation: 

Some  interesting  illustrations  of  Samoyed  drawings  are  given  by  Mr. 
Aubyn  Trevor- Battye  in  his  "Ice-bound  on  Kolguev,"  Westminster, 
1895.  Kolguev  Island  lies  50  miles  north  of  Arctic  Europe,  and  is  sep 
arated  from  the  continent  by  what  is  known  as  Barent's  Sea.  It  is 
about  midway,  in  distance,  between  Waygat  Island — immediately  south 
of  ^ovaya  Zemblya — and  the  eastern  extremity  of  Lapland.  The 
Samoyeds  here  are  entirely  isolated,  from  the  fact  that  they  possess  no 
boats  that  could  venture  50  miles  across  the  sea — an  interesting  cir 


"The  Eskimo  Tribes."     Copenhagen  and  London,  1887,  pp.  15,  16. 
2  "Tales  and  Traditions  of  the  Eskimo."     Edinburgh  and  London,  1875,  p. 


772  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

cunistance,  because  they  are  often,  from  various  supposed  or  accidental 
similarities  in  customs  and  manners,  coupled  with  the  Eskimo,  a  people 
with  whom  the  kayak  and  umiak  are  the  chief  methods  of  transportation. 

The  illustrations  represent  ordinary  pursuits,  and  appear  to  be  made 
upon  paper  by  means  of  a  pencil.  The  peculiarities  of  drawing  are 
very  much  of  the  same  character  as  the  Eskimo  sketches  obtained  by 
Doctor  Kink  in  Greenland.  One  example  will  suffice.  Plate  10  repre 
sents  Samoyeds  killing  walrus.  The  black  dots  on  the  right  are  heads 
of  seals,  at  which  a  man,  lying  flat  upon  the  ice,  appears  to  be  shooting. 
The  hunter  appears  as  if  placed  in  the  air,  though  in  reality  the  view 
seems  to  be  from  above — as  a  bird's-eye  view — the  ligure  of  the  man 
corresponding,  in  this  particular,  to  like  portrayals  in  several  Eskimo 
engravings  on  ivory,  from  Alaska. 

Captain  Parry  mentions  having  charts  made  by  the  natives  of  Winter 
Island.  A  first  attempt  made  "  was  by  placing  several  sheets  of  paper 
before  Iligliuk,  and  roughly  drawing  on  a  large  scale  an  outline  of  the 
laud  about  Eepulse  Bay  and  Lyon  Inlet,  and  terminating  at  our  present 
winter  quarters.  *  *  *  Iligliuk  was  not  long  in  comprehending 
what  we  desired,  and  with  a  pencil  continued  the  outline,  making  the 
land  trend,  as  we  supposed,  to  the  northeastward.  The  scale  being 
large,  it  was  necessary  when  she  came  to  the  end  of  one  piece  of  paper 
to  tack  on  another,  till  at  length  she  had  filled  ten  or  twelve  sheets,  and 
had  completely  lost  sight  of  Winter  Island  *  *  *  at  the  other  end 
of  the  table.  The  idea  entertained  from  this  first  attempt  was  that  we 
should  find  the  coast  indented  by  several  inlets,  and  in  some  parts 
much  loaded  with  ice,  especially  at  one  strait  to  the  northward  of  her 
native  island,  Amitioke,  which  seemed  to  lead  in  a  direction  very  much 
to  the  westward.  Within  a  week  after  this,  several  other  charts  were 
drawn  by  the  natives  in  a  similar  way.  *  *  *  The  coast  was  here 
delineated  as  before,  on  a  very  large  scale,  but  much  more  in  detail, 
'many  more  islands,  bays,  and  names  being  inserted.  It  was  observ 
able,  however,  that  no  two  charts  much  resembled  each  other,  and  that 
the  greater  number  of  them  still  less  resembled  the  truth  in  those  parts 
of  the  coast  with  which  we  were  well  acquainted."1 

An  interesting  illustration  of  a  Greenland  map  made  by  natives  of 
the  east  coast  is  given  by  Mr.  G.  Holm  in  his  Ethnographic  Sketch  of 
Angmagsalikerne.2  This  consists  of  three  blocks  of  wood,  along  the 
edges  of  which  are  cut  various  indentations  and  curves,  leaving  pro 
jections,  all  of  which  are  intended  to  portray  the  contour  of  the  shore 
lines  between  various  important  points  on  the  east  shore  of  Greenland. 
Channels,  capes,  islands,  and  other  topographic  features  are  apparently 
well  reproduced,  at  least  sufficiently  clear  to  permit  of  their  identifica 
tion  when  compared  with  a  large  chart  of  the  locality  referred  to. 

"'Tales  and  Traditions  of  the  Eskimo/'  by  Doctor  Henry  Rink.  Edinburgh  and 
London,  1875,  pp.  1C2, 103. 

-EtlmologiskSkizzeaf  Augma#8aliKerne(Sairtryk  af  MeddelelseroiuGr^nland.  X). 
Kj0benhavn.  1887.  8°. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  10. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  773 

Mr.  Alfred  C.  Hadden1  says: 

I 

All  human  handiwork  is  subject  to  the  same  operation  of  external  forces,  but  the 
material  on  which  these  forces  act  is  also  infinitely  varied.  The  diverse  races  and 
people  of  mankind  have  different  ideas  and  ideals,  unequal  skill,  varied  material  to 
work  upon,  and  dissimilar  tools  to  work  with.  Everywhere  the  environment  is 
different.  * 

The  conclusion  that  forced  itself  upon  me  is  that  the  decorative  art  of  a  people 
does  to  a  certain  extent  reflect  their  character.  A  poor,  miserable  people  have  poor 
and  miserable  art.  Even  among  savages  leisure  from  the  cares  of  life  is  essential  for 
the  culture  of  art.  It  is  too  often  supposed  that  all  savages  are  lazy  and  have  an 
abundance  of  spare  time,  but  this  is  by  no  means  always  the  case.  Savages  do  all 
that  is  necessary  for  life;  anything  extra  is  for  excitement,  a'sthetics,  or  religion; 
and  even  if  there  is  abundance  of  time  for  these  latter,  it  does  not  follow  that  there 
is  an  equivalent  superfluity  of  energy. 

The  Eskimo  are  a  peculiarly  lively  people,  and  keenly  appreciate  any 
thing  ludicrous.  .  Contrary  to  the  Indian  generally,  they  can  enjoy  a 
practical  joke  without  thought  of  resenting  such  if  personal.  Such 
a  condition,  especially  when  there  is  an  abundance  of  food,  so  that 
unoccupied  time  may  be  utilized  for  social  enjoyment,  is  one  which  is 
apt  to  foster  pursuits  that  lend  gratification  and  pleasure  to  the  sight 
and  stimulate  artistic  tendencies.  Shamanism  prevails  extensively  and 
ceremonials  are  frequent;  and  apart  from  this  there  are  numberless 

dividual  instances  where  natives  consult  the  shaman  for  success  in 
ai  nost  every  avocation,  and  also  for  the  exorcism  of  demons  from  the 
body  of  the  sick,  and  for  u  hunter's  medicine,"  i.  e.,  securing  the  help 
of  a  shaman  that  game  may  be  directed  in  the  way  of  the  hunter.  It 
is  but  reasonable  to  presume,  therefore,  that  the  superstitions  and  cult 
beliefs  should,  to  a  certain  degree,  manifest  themselves  in  the  art,  as 
well  as  to  be  the  means  of  developing  a  symbolism  similar  in  degree  to 
that  found  among  other  peoples  living  under  similar  conditions  and 
surrounded  by  like  environment. 

The  possible  introduction  into  western  Alaska  of  articles  of  foreign 
art  or  workmanship  may  thus  have  had  but  little  influence  upon  the 
native  Eskimo  in  adopting  new  designs  and  patterns,  with  which  he 
was  unfamiliar  and  the  signification  of  which  he  did  not  comprehend, 
but  it  may  have  suggested  to  him  a  simplification  of  approaching  forms 
with  which  he  may  already  have  been  familiar. 

MATERIALS   EMPLOYED. 
IVORY. 

The  material  generally  used  by  the  Eskimo  of  Alaska  is  walrus  ivory. 
This  is  both  durable  and  sufficiently  hard  to  retain  indefinitely,  with 
proper  care,  the  most  delicate  etchings.  Its  white  or  cream  tint  forms 
a  delicate  background  for  any  colored  incisions,  and  in  instances  where 
from  age  or  otherwise  the  material  attains  a  yellow  or  orange  tint,  the 
black  etching-like  pictographs  are  really  improved  in  appearance. 

1  "Evolution  in  Art."     London,  1895,  pp.  7-9. 


774  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

The  animal  which  furnishes  this  material  is  represented  in  Plate  11, 
the  specimen  technically  known  as  Rosmarus  obesus,  Illiger,  being  most 
abundant  in  Bristol  Bay. 

The  walrus  tusks  are  capable  of  softening  and  bending,  according  to 
J  Captain  Herendeeu,  a  gentleman  of  considerable  experience  in  the 
region  under  discussion.  The  tusks  are  divided  longitudinally,  one 
tusk  usually  furnishing  four  rods,  either  by  sawing  or  scraping  and  split 
ting.  The  process  described  below  by  Mr.  Lucian  M.  Turner,  as  pur 
sued  in  former  times  and  with  primitive  tools,  is  still  practically  the 
same,  though  accomplished  with  modern  tools  purchased  at  the  traders' 
or  obtained  from  whalers. 

During  his  protracted  residence  in  southern  Alaska,  Mr.  Turner 
studied  carefully  the  customs  of  the  Eskimo,  and  for  special  instruction 
in  some  of  the  arts  the  natives  worked  in  his  presence,  thus  affording 
every  opportunity  desired. 

In  response  to  my  inquiry  regarding  the  primitive  methods  of  pre 
paring  the  ivory  drill  bows,  and  their  subsequent  engraving  with 
pictographs,  the  following  communication  was  kindly  sent  to  me  by 
Mr.  Turner.1  He  says: 

The  abundance  of  walrus  ivory  in  the  days  prior  to  the  advent  of  Americans  (the 
Russians  did  not  encourage  the  use  of  firearms  by  the  natives  and  stringently  pro 
hibited  the  sale  of  such  weapons  except  in  greatly  favored  instances)  permitted  the 
Innuit  to  secure  the  best  character  of  ivory  when  wanted ;  hence  the  selection  of  a 
tusk  depended  entirely  upon  the  want  or  use  to  which  it  was  to  be  applied.  Later 
\  the  best  tusks  were  sold  and  the  inferior  qualities  retained,  as  is  well  shown  by  the 
*  comparison  of  the  older  and  the  more  recent  implements  created  from  that  material. 

The  tusk  selected  was  rudely  scratched  with  a  fragment  of  quartz,  or  other  sili 
ceous  stone,  along  the  length  of  the  tusk  until  the  sharp  edge  would  no  longer  deepen 
the  groove;  the  other  three  sides  were  scratched  or  channeled  until  the  pieces  of 
tusk  could  be  separated.  Sometimes  this  was  done  by  pressure  of  the  hand,  or 
effected  by  means  of  a  knifeblade-shaped  piece  of  wood,  on  which  was  struck  a  sharp 
blow,  and  so  skillfully  dealt  as  not  to  shatter  or  fracture  the  piece  intended  for  use. 
The  other  side,  or  slabs,  were  removed  in  a  similar  manner. 

The  piece  intended  for  drill  bow  or  other  use  was  now  scraped  (rubbed)  with  a 
fragment  of  freshly  broken  basalt,  in  which  the  cavities  formed  additional  cutting 
edges  and  aided  in  the  collection  of  the  bone  dust.  When  this  was  explained  to  me, 
I  suggested  the  use  of  water,  but  the  native  (Innuit)  smiled  and  continued  his 
work.  I  soon  saw  he  knew  better  than  I  how  to  reduce  the  size  of  a  strip  of  walrus 
ivory.  This  attrition  of  the  surface  was  continued  until  the  approximate  size  was 
reached.  The  holes  or  perforations  in  the  ends  were  produced  by  means  of  stone 
drills  after  a  depression  had  been  made  by  an  angular  piece  of  stone,  any  stone 
capable  of  wearing  away  the  ivory  substance.  A  few  grains  of  sand  were  put  into 
the  shallow  cavity  and  the  stone  drill  started  by  means  of  another  drill  or  by  a 
string  or  thong  similar  to  the  manner  in  making  fire. 

Various  sizes  of  stone  drills  were  made,  and  by  their  use  the  different  holes  were 
produced.  It  is  unusual  to  find  two  perforations  of  the  same  diameter  in  any  object. 
These  stone  drills  were  used  in  making  the  long  holes  in  ivory  objects  of  all  kinds. 

The  final  smoothing  of  the  surface  of  the  ivory  piece  was  effected  by  rubbing  it 
against  a  fine-grained  stone  or  in  the  hand  where  fine  sand  was  held;  lastly,  two 
pieces  of  ivory  were  rubbed  against  each  other  and  thus  a  polished  surface  produced. 


Letter  dated  December  20,  1894. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895. —  Hoffman. 


PLATE  1 1 . 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  775 

The  etching  was  done  with  sharp  edges  of  fragments  of  fliiit.  Sometimes  these 
stone  fragments  were  skillfully  fastened  into  a  piece  of  wood  and  used  as  gravers  or 
oven  as  lancets.  In  later  years  files  and  saws  were  used  to  cut  the  ivory  into  the 
required  shape,  and  pieces  of  steel  were  used  to  make  the  holes.  Often  a  three- 
cornered  file  was  the  instrument  used  to  make  the  holes. 

The  drill  bow  or  other  implement  or  utensil  was  not  produced  in  a  day  or  even  in  a 
month,  as  these  articles  were  usually  created  for  personal  use.  I  have  known  of 
such  articles  heing  taken  along  while  on  a  protracted  hunting  expedition  and  there 
worked  upon  to  while  away  the  oftentimes  tedious  hours  of  watching  game.  Again 
I  have  known  when  a  native  had  requested  a  friend  to  etch  some  design,  and  in  their 
festivals,  commemorating  their  dead,  these  articles  were  often  presented  and  highly 
cherished  as  gifts.  Other  articles  of  ivory  often  passed  as  a  legacy  from  a  relative 
to  another,  and  highly  valued  by  the  owner. 

With  respect  to  the  walrus  ivory  and  antler,  both  of  which  are 
employed  by  the  engraver  for  the  portrayal  of  various  figures,  Mr. 
Turner  writes : l 

You  will  observe  many  of  the  larger  objects  of  ivory  and  antler  have  outer  or 
engraved  portions  of  herder  substance  than  the  inner  or  core  portion.  You  will  per 
ceive  that  in  bent  or  curved  aifairs  the  outer  part  is  always  the  denser  portion  of 
the  material.  This  or  these  substances  warp  or  curve  because  of  their  unequal 
density  of  parts.  The  native  saw  that  heat  would  unshape  a  straight  piece  of  ivory 
or  antler,  and,  taking  advantage  of  what  the  sun  did,  he  laid  aside  the  piece  where 
it  would  become  moist,  and  then  placed  it  before  the  lire,  core  next  to  the  lire,  and 
warping  was  the  result. 

In  the  winter  the  heat  of  the  sun  was  not  sufficient  to  produce  harm,  but  when  the 
warm  rays  began  to  heat  objects,  the  native  was  careful  to  put  his  ivory  or  bone 
implements  of  the  chase  in  the  shade  of  a  house  or  on  the  side  of  his  cache,  or  within 
a  place  where  heat  could  not  affect  it. 

I  never  saw  them  dip  any  such  object  in  hot  water  or  try  to  bend  it  by  force. 

The  absence  of  graphic  art  among  the  Eskimo  of  Greenland,  Labra 
dor,  and  the  region  between  Hudson  Bay  and  the  Mackenzie  River, 
can  not  entirely  be  attributed  to  the  lack  of  horn,  bone,  and  walrus 
ivory,  as  one  or  more  of  these  materials  appear  abundant  in  certain 
localities.  By  graphic  art  as  here  named  is  not  intended  the  ordinary 
ornamentation  by  means  of  lines,  dots,  etc.,  nor  the  sketches  on  paper 
referred  to  by  Doctor  Rink,  but  the  etchings  upon  .the  several  materials 
by  means  of  gravers,  to  portray  graphically  records  of  hunting  expe 
ditions,  shamauistic  ceremonies,  and  other  subjects  of  which  numerous 
examples  are  here  given  passim.  The  great  supply  of  ivory  in  Alaska 
comes  from  near  Port  Muller,  in  Bristol  Bay,  and  the  more  northern 
coast  and  islands.  Mr.  Dall,  who  is  authority  for  this  statement,  adds, 
furthermore,  "that  the  amount  of  walrus  ivory  taken  annually  will 
average  100,000  pounds."2 

Some  of  the  utensils  in  the  National  Museum  are  made  of  fossil  ivory; 
and  of  this  to  Mr.  Dall  remarks,  "that  it  is  not  uncommon  in  many 
parts  of  the  valleys  of  the  Yukon  and  Kuskoquim.  It  is  usually  found 
on  the  surface,  not  buried  as  in  Siberia,  and  all  that  I  have  seen  has 
been  so  much  injured  by  the  weather  that  it  was  of  little  commercial 


1  Letter  dated  March  18,  1896. 

*  "Alaska  and  its  Resources."     Boston,  1870,  p.  504. 


776  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

value.  It  is  usually  blackened,  split,  and  so  fragile  as  to  break  readily 
in  pieces.  It  has  also  been  found  on  the  shores  of  Kotzebue  Sound  and 
the  Arctic  coast." l 

Captain  William  Edward  Parry,2  during  his  second  voyage  for  the 
discovery  of  a  northwest  passage,  found  the  walrus  in  tolerable  abun 
dance  in  latitude  68°  22'  '21"  north,  and  longitude  (by  chronometer) 
81°  56'  55"  west,  which  places  the  locality  on  the  east  coast  of  Mel 
ville  Peninsula.  He  remarks: 

In  the  course  of  this  day  the  walruses  became  more  and  more  numerous  every 
hour,  lying  in  large  herds  upon  the  loose  pieces  of  drift  ice;  and  it  having  fallen 
calm  at  1  p.  m.,  we  dispatched  our  boats  to  endeavor  to  kill  some  for  the  sake  of 
the  oil  which  they  afford.  On  approaching  the  ice,  our  people  found  them  huddled 
close  to,  and  even  lying  upon,  one  another,  in  separate  droves  of  from  twelve  to 
thirty,  the  whole  number  near  the  boats  being  perhaps  about  two  hundred.  Most 
of  them  waited  quietly  to  be  fired  at,  and  even  after  one  or  two  discharges  did  not 
seem  to  be  greatly  disturbed,  but  allowed  the  people  to  land  on  the  ice  near  them, 
and,  when  approached,  showed  an  evident  disposition  to  give  battle.  After  they  had 
got  into  the  water,  three  were  struck  with  harpoons  and  killed  from  the  boats. 
When  first  wounded,  they  became  quite  furious,  and  one  which  had  been  struck 
from  Captain  Lyon's  boat  made  a  resolute  attack  upon  her  and  injured  several  of 
the  planks  with  its  enormous  tusks. 

The  author  above  cited  mentions,  furthermore,  the  occurrence  of 
reindeer  and  musk  ox,  both  species  of  animals  furnished  with  horns 
that  might  readily  furnish  excellent  materials  upon  which  to  inscribe 
pictorial  representations  of  exploits  or  events.  Great  abundance  of 
the  former  are  killed  in  the  summer  time,  "  partly  by  driving  them 
from  islands  or  narrow  necks  of  land  into  the  sea,  and  then  spearing 
them  from  their  canoes,  and  partly  by  shooting  them  from  behind 
heaps  of  stones  raised  for  the  purpose  of  watching  them,  and  imitating 
their  peculiar  bellow  or  grunt.  Among  the  various  artifices  which  they 
employ  for  this  purpose,  one  of  the  most  ingenious  consists  in  two  men 
walking  directly  from  the  deer  they  wish  to  kill,  when  the  animal 
almost  always  follows  them.  As  soon  as  they  arrive  at  a  large  stone, 
one  of  the  men  hides  behind  it  with  his  bow,  while  the  other,  continuing 
to  walk  on,  soon  leads  the  deer  within  range  of  his  companion's  arrows. 
They  are  also  very  careful  to  keep  to  leeward  of  the  deer,  and  will 
scarcely  go  out  after  them  at  all  when  the  weather  is  calm."3 

HORN. 

Quite  a  number  of  specimens  of  Eskimo  workmanship,  upon  which 
both  simple  forms  of  ornamentation  and  pictographic  records  occur, 
consist  of  pieces  of  reindeer  horn,  obtained  from  the  Barren-ground 
caribou  or  reindeer,  shaped  into  the  form  desired  for  the  purpose.  In 
plate  12  is  reproduced  a  museum  group  of  Woodland  caribou  (Rangifer 


1  "Alaska  and  its  Resources."     Boston,  1870,  p.  479. 

2  The  Journal  of  a  second  voyage  for  the  discovery  of  a  northwest  passage  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific.     London,  1824,  p.  220. 

'Idem,  pp.  420,  421. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1  895,— Hoffman. 


PLATE  12. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895. — Hoffman. 


PLATE  13. 


,'.  WEAVING  UTENSILS  OF  HORN. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895. — Hoffman. 


PLATE  14. 


, ' ,    HUNTING  RECORDS  OF  HORN. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    14. 


Fig.  1.    PlCTOGRAPH   ON   BOXE. 

(Cat.  No.  33315,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  2.  RECORD  ON  BONE. 

(Cat.  No.  129277,  F.  S.  N.  M.     St.  Michaels.     Collected  by  L.  M.  Turner.) 

Fig.  3.  KANTAG  OK  BUCKET  HANDLE  OF  HORN. 

(Cat.  No.  37742,  TT.  S.  N.  M.     Northern  part  of  Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Figs.  4-7.  KANTAG  HANDLES  OF  ANTLER. 

Cat,  Noa.  33311,  33309,  33312,  and  33310,  respectively,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Norton    Sound. 
Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 


Report  of  U.  S   National  Museum,  1 895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  15. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    15. 


3     4 


Fig.  1.  DECORATED  KNIFE  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  No.  45488,  U'.  S.  N.  M.     St.  Michaels.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  2.  KNIFE  WITH  IRON  BLADE. 

(Cat.  No.  48536.     Kotzebue  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  3.  BONE  KNIFE. 

( Cat.  No.  33026,  IT.  S.  N.  M.     Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson. ) 

Fig.  4.  IVORY  KNIFE. 

(Cat.  No.  36576,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Cbalitmut.    Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,   1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  16. 


;    ' '  ' ;'  ;  DANCING  MASK  OF  WOOD. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    16. 

DECORATED  DANCING  MASK.     Used  by  shamans  in  ceremonials.     It  is  made  of  wood, 

painted  white,  and  ornamented  with  pictures  ot  masks,  and  with  feathers. 

(Cat.  No.  64258,  U.  S.  N.  M.     KuskuKwim.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  777 

tarandus  caribou  Kerr),  a  variety  found  farther  south  than  the  Barren- 
ground  variety,  which  is  believed  to  be  the  one  best  known  to  the 
Alaskan  Eskimo.  Several  utensils  employed  in  net  weaving  are  shown 
in  plate  13,  figs.  1,  2,  3,  and  several  short,  stout  slabs  of  horn,  neatly 
ornamented  with  animals  and  short  records  of  hunting  exploits,  are 
represented  in  plate  14,  figs.  2-7. 

No  specimens  of  horn  of  either  the  mountain  sheep  or  the  mountain 
goat,  both  of  which  are  employed  by  various  other  and  more  southern 
coast  tribes,  have  as  yet  been  found  in  the  collection  of  either  the 
National  Museum,  or  that  of  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company,  in  San 
Francisco,  California. 

BONE. 

Another  article  very  often  met  with,  inscribed  with  various  kinds  of 
ornamentation  and  pictorial  work,  consists  of  bone,  both  the  larger 
bones  of  the  legs  and  ribs  of  reindeer,  and  the  humerus  of  the  swan, 
the  latter  serving  as  tubes  for  needle  cases  or  snuff  tubes.  Specimens 
are  shown  farther  on. 

A  small  piece  of  bone,  rudely  incised,  is  shown  herewith  in  plate  14, 
fig.  1. 

Some  ornamented  bone  knives  will  be  referred  to  under  the  special 
class  of  subjects  to  which  the  records  pertain.  Such  weapons  are 
employed  in  skinning  and  sometimes  in  cutting  up  animals,  and  native 
portrayals  of  such  avocations  are  also  reproduced  in  several  illustra 
tions.  The  handles,  and  sometimes  the  blades  of  such  knives,  some 
with  steel  blades  used  in  working  and  fashioning  the  ivory  rods  and  bag 
handles,  are  decorated  as  in  plate  15,  fig.  1. 

WOOD. 

Wood  is  sometimes  used  for  various  articles,  such  as  boxes  for  tobacco, 
small  utensils  and  tools,  and  women's  trinkets.  These  are  frequently 
incised,  but  the  ornamentation  is  limited  to  simple  figures  composed  of 
straight  lines,  and  perhaps  dots. 

In  the  country  of  theMagemuts — who  inhabited  the  vicinity  of  Cape 
Eomauzoff  and  reach  nearly  to  the  mouth  of  the  Yukon  Eiver — wood  is 
reported  as  very  scarce,  and  is  an  article  of  trade.1 

Wood  is  sometimes  used  for  ornaments,  masks,  and  toys,  the  surface 
of  which  may  be  whitened,  and  upon  this  other  designs  are  portrayed. 
Such  an  instance  is  shown  in  plate  16,  consisting  of  a  dancing  mask. 

The  Greenland  map,  before  mentioned,  may  also  be  noted  in  this  con 
nection. 

The  only  other  examples  in  the  collections  of  the  National  Museum 
are  from  Point  Barrow,  and  may  here  be  reproduced,  together  with  the 
descriptions  given  by  Mr.  Murdoch: 

This  consists  of  a  toy  obtained  in  Point  Barrow  and  deposited  in  the 

1  "Alaska  and  its  Resources."     Boston,  1880,  p.  407. 


778 


REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 


National  Museum.  It  is  a  child's  toy,  resembling  what  American  boys 
would  call  a  abuzz"  toy,  and  which  would  by  them  be  made  of  the 
round  tin  top  of  a  shoeblack  ing  box. 

The  specimen  herewith  reproduced  in  tig.  1  is  of  pine  \vood,  rather 


Fig.  1. 
WOODEN  "BUZZ  "  TOY.     POINT  BARROW. 


oblong  in  shape,  and  through  the  two  perforations  in  the  middle  are 
passed  the  ends  of  a  sinew  cord.  The  specimen  is  about  3.5  inches  in 
length.  One  end  has  a  border  of  black  on  both  faces,  while  the  other 
has  a  similar  border  of  red.  The  middle  square,  1  inch  across7  is 


Fig.  2. 

WOODEN   MASK    AND   DA>CING   GORGET. 


also  in  red,  and  from  the  corners  are  lines  extending  out  to  the  respec 
tive  corners  of  the  tablet.  The  compartments  thus  formed  are  orna 
mented  with  figures  of  various  objects.  On  the  left  end  face  of  the 
illustration  a  is  a  goose  j  the  next  at  the  top  is  a  man  with  one  hand 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF   THE   ESKIMOS. 


779 


elevated  and  the  other  apparently  so  curved  as  to  pretend  to  touch 
himself,  indicating  that  he  is  contemplating  something  or  has  performed 
some  deed;  the  third  space  contains  the  conventional  figure  of  a 
whale's  tail  to  indicate  that  animal,  and  in  the  remaining  space,  at  the 
bottom,  is  a  whale  with  what  appears  to  denote  a  float  attached  to  a 
harpoon  line. 

The  other  side  of  the  tablet,  that  bearing  the  cord,  has  in  the  left- 
hand  space  an  animal  probably  intended  to  denote  a  wolf;  the  upper 
panel  has  within  it  a  deer,  the  horns  being  turned  back,  whereas  to. 
denote  the  reindeer  they  would  be  turned  forward;  the  next,  like  the 
first,  appears  to  be  a  wolf,  while  the  fourth  has  two  animals  seated 
upon  their  haunches,  facing  one  another,  after  the  manner  of  dogs, 
although  they  appear  to  closely  resemble  the  first  and  third,  which  are 
believed  to  denote  wolves,  as  before  stated. 


Fig.  3. 
DANCING  GOROET  OF  WOOD;   FROM  POINT  BARROW. 

An  old  and  weatherworn  mask  from  Point  Barrow  is  shown  in  fig.  2. 
It  is  made  of  spruce  wood,  and  measures  7£  inches  in  length.  It  is 
peculiar  in  having  the  outer  corners  of  the  eyes  somewhat  depressed, 
and  in  addition  to  the  mustache  and  imperial  has  a  broad  "whaleman's 
mask  "  drawn  with  black  lead  across  the  eyes. 

Mr.  Murdoch1  says  of  the  specimen  that  "this  mask  has  been  for  a 
long  time  fastened  to  an  ornamented  wooden  gorget,  and  appeared  to 
have  been  exposed  to  the  weather,  perhaps  at  a  cemetery.  The  string 
is  made  of  unusually  stout  sinew  braid." 

A  decorated  gorget  is  shown  in  fig.  3.  It  is  from  Point  Barrow,  and 
Mr.  Murdoch2  describes  it  thus: 

It  is  made  of  spruce,  is  18.5  inches  long,  and  has  two  beckets  of  stout  sinew  braid, 
one  to  go  round  the  neck  and  the  other  round  the  body  under  the  wearer's  arms. 


1  Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnolgy  for  1887-88,  1892,  pp.  367,  368, 
iig.  367. 
*Idem,p  370,fig.372a.    . 


780 


REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 


The  figures  are  all  painted  ou  the  front  face.  In  the  middle  is  a  man  painted  with  red 
ocher;  all  the  rest  of  the  figures  are  black  and  probably  painted  with  soot.  The 
man  with  his  arms  outstretched  stands  on  a  large  whale,  represented  as  spouting. 
He  holds  a  small  whale  in  each  hand.  At  his  right  is  a  small  cross-shaped  object 
which  perhaps  represents  a  bird,  then  a  man  facing  toward  the  left  and  darting  a 
harpoon  with  both  hands,  and  a  bear  facing  to  the  left.  On  the  left  of  the  red  man 
are  two  umiaks  with  five  men  in  each,  a  whale  nearly  effaced,  and  three  of  the  crow- 
shaped  objects  already  mentioned.  Below  them  also,  freshly  drawn  with  a  hard, 
blunt  lead  pencil  or  the  point  of  a  bullet,  are  a  whale,  an  umiak,  and  a  three-cornered 
object  the  nature  of  which  I  can  not  make  out. 

A  similar  gorget,  from  the  same  place,  is  shown  in  fig.  4,  and  appears 
to  have  been  long  exposed  to  the  weather,  perhaps  at  a  cemetery,  as 
the  figures  are  all  effaced  except  in  the  middle,  where  it  was  probably 
" covered  by  a  mask  as  in  fig.  2,  which  was  from  the  same  village." 


DANCING  GORGET   OF  WOOD;   FROM  POINT  BARROW. 


Mr.  Murdoch  says  of  this  that  "there  seems  to  have  been  a  red  bor 
der  on  the  serrated  edge.  In  tlfe  middle  is  the  same  red  man  as  before 
standing  on  the  black  whale  and  holding  a  whale  in  each  hand.  At 
his  right  is  a  black  umiak  with  five  men  in  it,  and  at  his  left  a  partially 
effaced  figure  which  is  perhaps  another  boat."  The  strings  are  for 
securing  the  gorget  to  the  dancer's  neck  and  body. 

Mr.  Murdoch1  remarks  of  the  human  figure  holding  the  whales: 
"This  man  or  giant,  able  to  hold  out  a  whale,  appears  to  be  a  legend 
ary  character,  as  we  have  his  image  carved  in  ivory.  We  unfortu- 


Niuth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology  for  1887-88,  1892,  p.  371. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  781 

uately  did  not  succeed  in  learning  anything  more  about  him,  except 
that  his  name  (apparently)  was  'Kikamigo.'" 

a These  gorgets  appear  to  have  gone  out  of  fashion,"  continues  the 
above-named  author,  "  as  we  saw  none  which  were  not  very  old,  or 
which  appeared  to  have  been  used  recently.71* ! 

METALS. 

Copper,  brass,  and  white  metal  (consisting  of  block  tin,  lead,  etc.),  as 
well  as  an  occasional  specimen  of  iron,  will  be  met  with  bearing  rude 
designs  in  ornamentation.  Very  little  is  done  also  in  silver,  especially 
in  the  manufacture  of  bracelets,  an  art  which  was  imported  from  the 
Thlinkit,  who,  in  turn,  obtained  their  first  suggestions  and  patterns 
from  the  Haida  Indians.  Mr.  Murdoch  reports  the  practice  of  engrav 
ing  iron-pipe  picks  and  flint  steels  at  Point  Barrow. 

SKINS   OF   ANIMALS. 

Tanned  hides  of  walrus  are  sometimes  used  for  purposes  where  a 
touch  here  or  there  of  ornamentation  seems  to  be  desired  by  the  native 
Eskimo. 

Reindeer  skin  and  the  small  peltries  used  for  articles  of  clothing  are 
sometimes  decorated  with  designs  in  color  by  means  of  small  wooden 
tools  resembling  spoons,  of  which  the  back  of  the  bowl  is  cut  into  pat 
terns,  which  are  then  moistened  with  the  pigments  or  stains,  and 
finally  impressed  upon  the  skin  or  fabric.  This  process  is  very  like 
that  practiced  by  the  South  Sea  Islanders  in  decorating  some  forms  of 
tapa  cloth. 

TATTOOING. 

The  human  skin  is  also  used  for  the  portrayal  of  various  designs,  the 
practice  of  tattooing  varying  among  the  several  tribes  or  bands^of 
Eskimo  between  Alaska  and  Greenland.  Plate  4  represents  a  Port 
Clarence  girl  with  typical  tattooing  upon  the  chin.  In  the  female  the 
designs  are  usually  limited  to  such  vertical  bars  upon  the  chin.  On 
Plate  22,  fig.  7,  is  also  shown  tattooing  by  pictography  upon  a  carved 
face. 

Referring  to  the  Eskimo  of  Melville  Peninsula,  Captain  Parry2 
remarks: 

Among  their  personal  ornaments  must  also  be  reckoned  that  mode  of  marking  the 
body  called  tattooing,  which,  of  the  customs  not  essential  to  the  comfort  or  happi 
ness  of  mankind,  is  perhaps  the  most  extensively  practiced  throughout  the  world. 
Among  these  people  it  seems  to  be  an  ornament  of  indispensable  importance  to  the 
women,  not  one  of  them  being  without  it.  The  operation  is  performed  about  the  age 
of  ten  or  sometimes  earlier  and  has  nothing  to  do  with  marriage,  except  that,  being 
considered  in  the  light  of  a  personal  charm,  it  may  serve  to  recommend  them  as 
wives.  The  parts  of  the  body  thus  marked  are  their  faces,  arms,  hands,  thighs,  and 
in  some  few  women  the  breasts,  but  never  the  feet,  as  in  Greenland. 

1  Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology  for  1887-88,  1892,  p.  372. 

2  The  journal  of  a  second  voyage  for  the  discovery  of  a  northwest  passage  from  the 
Atlantic  to  the  Pacific.     London,  1824. 


782  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

The  operation  is  very  expeditiously  managed  by  passing  a  needle  and  thread,  the 
latter  covered  with  lamp  black  and  oil,  under  the  epidermis,  according  to  a  pattern 
previously  marked  out  upon  the  skin.  Several  sketches  being  thus  taken  at  once, 
the  thumb  is  pressed  upon  the  part,  while  the  thread  is  drawn  through,  by  which 
means  the  coloring  matter  is  retained  and  a  permanent  dye  of  a  blue  tinge  imparted 
to  the  skin. 

In  the  absence  of  needles,  says  the  author,  a  strip  of  whalebone  is 
used  as  a  substitute.  It  is  furthermore  stated  that  the  patterns  "  are 
nearly  the  same  in  all,"  and  that  "  a  little  of  this  kind  of  mark  is  on  the 
back  part  of  their  hands;  and  with  them  we  understood  it  to  be  con 
sidered  as  a  souvenir  of  some  distant  or  deceased  person  who  had 
performed  it." 

Marks  of  distinction  by  tattooing  are  employed  by  the  men  to  denote 
success  in  whaling.  "  Those  men  who  are  or  have  been  captains  of 
whaling  umiaks  that  have  taken  whales  have  marks  tattooed  some 
where  on  their  person,  sometimes  forming  a  definite  tally."1 

Mr.  Murdoch  refers  to  an  example  in  the  person  of  a  native  named 
Aiiom,  who  had  a  broad  band  tattooed  across  each  cheek,  extending 
from  the  corner  of  the  mouth  backward  toward  the  lobe  of  the  ear. 
These  bands  were  made  up  of  many  indistinct  lines,  which  were  said 
to  indicate  "  many  whales."  Another  instance  was  that  of  a  native 
who  "had the  '  flukes7  of  seven  whales  in  a  line  across  the  chest." 

The  wife  of  the  former  "  had  a  little  mark  tattooed  on  each  corner  of 
her  mouth,  which  she  said  were '  whale  marks,'  indicating  that  she  was 
the  wife  of  a  successful  whaleman."1 

McClure  notes  that  at  Cape  Bathurst  he  observed  that  a  successful 
harpooner  had  a  blue  line  drawn  across  the  bridge  of  the  nose,2  and, 
according  to  Armstrong,  he  has  a  line  tattooed  from  the  inner  angle 
of  the  eye  across  the  cheek,  a  new  one  being  added  for  every  whale 
he  strikes.3  Father  Petitot  remarks  that  in  this  region  whales  are 
"scored"  by  "tattooing  crosses  on  the  shoulder,  and  that  a  murderer 
is  marked  across  the  nose  with  a  couple  of  horizontal  lines."4  It  is 
interesting,  says  Murdoch,  that  one  of  the  "striped"  men  at  Nuwilk 
told  us  he  had  killed  a  man.  In  east  Greenland  tattooing  is  similarly 
performed.  Holm,  remarking,  in  reference  to  the  residents  at  Angma- 
gralik,  that  "Mrendene  ere  kun  undtagelsvis  tatoverede  og  da  kun 
med  enkelte  mindre  Streger  paa  Arme  og  Haandled.  for  at  Kunue 
harpunere  godt." 5 

INSTRUMENTS   AND   COLORS. 

Various  instruments  are  employed  by  the  Eskimo  in  preparing  for 
the  reception  of  pictographs  the  several  substances  used  for  that 
purpose.  The  pigments  are  now  chiefly  obtained  from  the  trader, 

1  Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  1887-88,  1892.  p.  139. 
-  Discovery  of  Northwest  Passage,  p.  93. 
:J  Personal  Narrative,  p.  176. 
4  Monographic,  etc.,  p.  xxv. 
6  Geogr.  Tidskrift  VIII,  p.  88. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  783 

though  in  former  times  they  were  prepared  from  mineral  and  vegetable 
substances. 

Plate  17  represents  two  saws  used  in  cutting  ivory.  The  specimen 
shown  in  iig.  1  is  from  Port  Clarence,  and  appears  to  be  made  of  a 
piece  of  a  steel  saw  of  American  manufacture,  but  from  the  appearance 
of  the  specimen  the  teeth  were  iiled  into  it  by  the  native.  It  is 
hafted  to  a  piece  of  ivory  and  secured  by  means  of  a  i>iece  of  metal, 
apparently  a  nail. 

Plate  17,  fig.  2,  represents  a  saw  of  a  thinner  piece  of  metal  with  a 
very  irregularly  filed  cutting  edge.  It  is  attached  to  a  piece  of  ivory, 
and  was  obtained  at  Anderson  River.  This  instrument  was  used  in 
splitting  walrus  tusks  lengthwise,  as  well  as  cutting  them  into  shorter 
pieces  when  necessary.  In  the  bone  or  ivory  comb  represented  in  Plate 
22,  fig.  4,  may  be  seen  the  effects  of  native  sawing  and  an  attempt  to 
make  teeth. 

Several  forms  of  knives  before  referred  to  are  illustrated  in  plate  15. 
The  upper  left-hand  figure  (fig.  1)  is  a  Avood- working  knife,  obtained  at 
St.  Michaels,  and  sent  to  the  Museum  by  Mr.  E.  W.  Nelson.  The  handle 
is  made  of  a  rib,  a  slot  in  the  forAvard  end  being  made  there  to  receive 
the  laterally  curved  blade,  and  in  this  respect  resembling  to  a  limited 
degree  the  type  used  by  most  of  the  Indians  of  the  Great  Lakes.  The 
blade  is  secured  by  means  of  a  thong. 

Upon  the  back  or  obverse  side  of  the  handle  is  a  depression  one-eighth 
of  an  inch  deep  and  five-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  which  shows 
ample  evidence  of  having  been  used  in  holding  a  fire  drill,  or  some  other 
variety  of  drill.  Upon  the  front  side  of  the  handle  appears  the  outlines 
of  three  sailing  A^essels,  immediately  behind  the  right-hand  figure  being 
a  pit  surrounded  by  a  circle  Avith  four  radiating  lines,  beyond  which  are 
indications  of  an  attempt  to  make  other  concentric  circles. 

These  knives  are  used  in  fashioning  Avood  into  various  forms,  and 
also,  sometimes,  in  shaving  the  roughened  edges  of  ivory  rods. 

The  specimen  at  the  upper  right  hand  (fig.  2)  is  from  Kotzebue  Sound. 
The  handle,  like  the  preceding,  is  made  of  a  rib,  while  the  arrow-shaped 
piece  of  metal  constituting  the  blade  is  secured  by  means  of  two  riA7ets, 
one  of  iron  and  one  of  copper,  while  the  anterior,  a  third  one,  has  fallen 
out,  leaving  only  the  perforation. 

The  cutting  edge  is  slightly  concave  from  point  to  base  and  may 
have  been  made  so  intentionally  for  the  purpose  of  causing  slight  con 
vexity  to  the  surface  operated  upon.  This  style  of  knife  is  also  some 
times  employed  in  shaving  doAvii  ivory  rods  to  the  desired  form  and 
thickness. 

The  third  specimen  (fig.  3)  was  obtained  at  Norton  Sound.  This  bone 
gouge  or  chisel  represents  the  type  of  tool  used  for  stripping  off  birch 
bark  for  canoes  before  the  iron  tools  were  introduced.  It  is  apparently 
made  of  the  leg  bone  of  a  reindeer  and  bears  ornamentation  of  peculiar 
interest.  The  transverse  bars  consist  of  parallel  lines  by  twos,  and 


784  RKPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,    1H<)5. 

several  times  by  threes,  between  which  is  the  alternating  dentate  pat 
tern,  the  result  of  the  interlacing,  or  alternate  approximation,  ol'points, 
the  intervening  surface  resulting  in  a  tine  /igzag  pattern.  The  simple 
zigzag  lines  occur  near  the  middle  of  the  specimen,  while  the  small  lat 
eral  ornaments  resembling  bird  tracks  are  conventional  tree  patterns. 

The  incisions  are  all  stained  with  what  appears  to  be  red  oclier. 
Total  length  is  12 j3,.-  inches;  has  a  sharp  cutting  edge  and  shows  evi 
deuce  of  much  use. 

The  ivory  snow  knife  (fig.  4)  was  collected  by  Mr.  E.  W.  Xelson  al 
the  Clialitmut  village,  and  occupies  the  bottom  place  on  plate  1  ~>.  The 
specimen  is  14£  inches  in  length  and  1|£  inches  across  the  widest  part 
of  the  tolerably  sharp  blade.  The  bottom  of  the  handle  is  ornamented 
with  seven  projections  representing  seal  heads,  the  eyes  and  mouth  of 
each  being  clearly  cut  and  blackened.  Along  the  top  or  back  of  the 
blade  are  three  parallel  creases,  crossed  at  intervals  by  short  lines. 
The  upper  edge  of  each  side  of  the  blade  has  two  parallel  lines  extend 
ing  from  the  base  to  near  the  tip,  from  the  lower  one  of  which  extend 
short  <<  shaped  ornaments  resembling  the  legs  on  some  of  the  Eskimo 
mythic  animals.  The  line,  extending  almost  halfway  along  the  bottom 
edge  of  the  blade,  has  single  short  lines  projecting  backward,  at  a  slight 
angle,  at  intervals  of  about  half  an  inch  apart.  This  is  a  simpler  form 
of  ornament,  though  of  the  same  type  as  that  upon  the  upper  side  of 
the  blade. 

Along  the  center,  on  either  side,  is  a  line  terminating  at  the  middle 
of  the  blade  in  a  circle  within  which  is  another  and  a  central  perfora 
tion  tilled  with  a  hard  wooden  peg. 

The  central  line  on  each  side  has  simple,  short,  oblique  lateral 
incisions  as  ornaments,  while  the  outer  circle  has  lines  radiating  at  the 
cardinal  points. 

On  plate  IS  are  reproduced  three  bone  skin  dressers,  figs.  1  and  3 
being  obtained  from  the  Thlingit  Indians,  while  fig.  2  was  secured  at 
Sitka,  no  specific  tribe  being  referred  to  in  the  records  accompanying 
the  object. 

The  ornamentation  on  plate  18,  fig.  1  consists  chiefly  of  three  rows  of 
small  squares  being  arranged  in  order  to  resemble  a  checkered  surface, 
the  one  series  of  squares  being  plain  while  the  other  is  specified  by 
cross  lines.  At  the  upper  edge,  embracing  a  little  more  than  one-third 
of  the  surface,  is  a  longitudinal  surface  marked  by  pairs  of  diagonal 
lines. 

The  specimen  on  plate  18,  fig.  2,  has  most  of  the  surface  of  one  side 
divided  off'  into  three  rectangles,  all  but  one  of  the  lines  forming  the 
boundaries,  being  decorated  on  the  inner  side  by  broken  series  of  small 
triangles.  This  is  a  common  Eskimo  pattern,  but  has  not  the  oppos 
ing  fellow  so  as  to  form  the  zigzag.  The  pattern  does  not  occur  on 
other  specimens  of  like  workmanship  from  the  Thlingit  Indians,  or 
from  Sitka,  excepting  in  the  specimen  on  plate  40,  fig.  3,  in  which  two 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,   1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  17. 


SAWS  FOR  CUTTING  IVORY. 


EXPLANATION     OF    PLATE    17. 


Fig.  1.  SAW. 
Fi-2 


1  2 


P°rt  Clarence'    C°»«»ted  by  T.  H.  Bean.) 
(Cat.  No.  [JSU4J.     Anderson  River.     Collected  by  C.  P.  Gaudet. 


EXPLANATION    OF     PLATE    18, 


1      2      3 


Fig.  1.  SKIN  DRESSER. 

(Cat,  No.  168360,  U.  S.  X.  M.     Thlingit  Indians.    Collected  by  Lieut.  G.  F.  Emmons, 

U.  S.  X.) 
Fig.  2.  SKIX  DRESSER. 

(Cat.  No.  74954,  U.  S.  X.  M.    Sitka.     Collected  by  John  J.  McLean.) 

Fig.  3.  SKIN  DHESSER. 

(Cat.  Xo.  168358.     Thlingit  Indians.     Collected  by  Lieut.  G.  F.  Emmous,  U.  S.  X.) 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,   1  895.— Hoffmar 


PLATE  18. 


Report  of   U.  S.  National  Museum,  1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  19. 


VARIOUS  FORMS  OF  GRAVERS. 


EXPLANATION     OF    PLATE     19. 


Fig.  1.  GRAVER. 

(Cat.  Xo.  48549,  IT.  S.  N.  M .    Kotzebue  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  2.  GRAVER. 

(Cat.  Xo.  2307,  V.  S.  X.  M.     Anderson  River.     Collected  by  II.  McFarlane  ) 

Fig.  3.  GRAVER. 

(Cat.  Xo.  2094,  U.  S.  X.  M.     Anderson  River.     Collected  by  K.  McFarlane.) 

Fig.  4.  GRAVER. 

(Cat.  Xo.  46080,  I'.  S.  XT.  M.     Tort  Clarence.     Collected  by  \V.  H.  Dall.) 

Fig.  5.  GRAVER. 

(Cat.  Xo.  44591,  V.  S.  X.  M.     Cape  Xonie.     Collected  by  E.  AA".  Xelson.) 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  785 

short  rows  of  triangular  figures  appear  near  the  middle,  while  at  the 
left  are  three  large  triangular  patterns  placed  so  as  to  form  a  zigzag, 
or  V-shaped,  design,  this  being  merely  an  enlarged  illustration  of  the 
smaller  patterns  above  noted.  At  the  other  end  of  this  specimen  is  a 
group  of  isolated  transverse  lines;  from  the  middle  of  the  end  is 
issuing  a  continuous  horizontal  line,  1J  inches  in  length,  terminating 
in  a  bifurcation  exactly  resembling  the  common  Eskimo  conventional 
tree  pattern.  In  the  middle  space  of  the  tool  is  a  pair  of  parallel  hori 
zontal  lines,  also  terminating  in  similar  bifurcations ;  this,  however, 
may  be  meaningless,  though  it  resembles  a  doubletree  symbol,  or  it 
might  also  be  taken  as  denoting  a  seine  shuttle,  examples  of  which 
are  given  in  several  illustrations. 
Mr.  L.  M.  Turner  writes:1 

Circles  are  made  with  a  graver;  formerly  a  sharp  corner  of  flint  set  in  a  stick. 
*  *  *  In  later  days  a  three-cornered  file,  one  worn  out,  was  substituted,  and  the 
manner  in  which  I  saw  him — an  expert  ivory  worker  at  St.  Michaels — use  it  was 
simply  pushing  it  from  him,  turning  the  ivory  round  as  the  circle  was  graved,  a 
little  deeper  at  each  turn. 

The  straight  decorated  lines  were  made  as  two  deep  channels  at  a  suitable  width 
apart;  the  serrations  were  made  by  pushing  from  the  outer  edge  of  the  ridge 
toward  the  groove.  These  sculptures  are  not  made  in  a  day,  week,  or  month ;  many 
objects  are  not  completed  in  years,  as  many  of  them  are  life  histories  of  the  indi 
vidual.  The  Innuit  is  never  in  a  hurry,  and  each  thinks  he  has  a  lifetime  before 
him. 

The  Kauiags  or  Kaniaks,  the  inhabitants  of  the  island  of  Kadiak 
and  surrounding  islands,  "  are  possessed  of  great  skill  in  carving 
figures  and  other  objects  from  walrus  tusks,  the  material  being 
obtained  from  the  Alaska  Peninsula."  Mr.  Ivan  Petroff,2  whose  words 
I  am  quoting,  remarks  furthermore : 

They  also  make  very  nicely  carved  snuifboxes  of  whalebone.  Formerly  all  these 
objects  were  worked  with  stone  implements,  but  the  use  of  iron  has  long  been 
known  to  the  Kaniags,  who  used  it  at  the  arrival  of  the  Russians.  The  savages 
said  that  iron  was  occasionally  cast  upon  the  beach  by  the  waves  [sic!]. 

Eeference  has  been  made  to  the  steel-pointed  native-made  gravers 
used  in  various  processes  of  engraving.  In  plate  19  are  represented 
five  instruments,  fig.  1  of  which  was  obtained  at  Kotzebue  Sound  by 
Mr.  E.  W.  Nelson.  The  handle,  a  little  over  5  inches  in  length,  is 
made  of  bone.  A  slight  slot  was  cut  at  the  large  end,  into  which  was 
inserted  a  short  piece  of  iron  or  steel,  secured  by  wrapping  with  thin 
cord,  apparently  of  sinew.  The  point  of  the  instrument  is  acute,  and 
admirably  adapted  for  etching  or  scraping. 

The  second  figure  from  the  top  (fig.  2)  was  secured  at  Anderson 
Eiver  by  Mr.  K.  McFarlane.  The  bone  handle  bears  indentations,  so  as 
to  admit  of  secure  grasping.  The  point  of  steel  is  inserted  in  the  end 


'Letter  dated  March  18,  1896. 

'^Report  on  the  population,  industries,  and  resources  of  Alaska.     Tenth  Census, 
1880,  VIII,  p.  141. 

NAT  MUS  95 50 


786  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

and  filed  down  to  a  narrower  width  than  that  hidden  from  view.  The 
point  measures  -3%  of  an  inch  in  height  and  is  only  about  7^  of  an  inch 
thick.  The  front  edge  is  not  at  right  angles  to  the  sides,  and  thus 
furnishes  a  better  and  sharper  cutting  edge. 

The  third  or  middle  specimen  (fig.  3)  is  from  the  same  locality  as  the 
preceding.  The  handle  consists  of  two  pieces  of  bone,  so  arranged  as 
to  unite  smoothly  and  also  to  hold  in  place  a  piece  of  steel,  which  has 
been  sunk  partly  in  each  half  of  the  handle  by  means  of  a  slot  made 
by  sawing.  The  two  pieces  are  finally  tied  together  with  a  sinew  cord. 
The  apex  of  the  graver  is  rather  more  acute  than  in  the  preceding 
specimen. 

The  back  of  the  tool  is  also  ground  to  a  cutting  edge,  to  be  used 
in  scraping  smooth  such  surfaces  requiring  treatment  previous  to 
engraving. 

An  interesting  specimen  occupies  the  fourth  place  in  the  series  (fig. 
4).  This  is  from  Port  Clarence,  where  it  was  obtained  by  Mr.  W.  H. 
Dall.  The  two  pieces  of  bone  composing  the  handle  are  secured  to  one 
another  by  means  of  a  peg  passing  vertically  through  them,  and  two 
wooden  pegs,  of  no  special  use  apparently,  are  inserted  in  handle  trans 
versely.  Like  in  the  preceding,  a  slot  has  been  made  with  the  front  of 
each  piece  so  as  to  secure  the  flat  piece  of  metal  constituting  the  blade. 
The  point  is  neatly  finished,  and  it  will  be  observed  has  a  very  acute 
tip  turned  downward  so  as  to  afiford  the  best  possible  means  for  fine 
engraving  in  hard  material.  The  two  pieces  of  handle  are  tied  together 
with  a  leather  or  skin  thong.  The  entire  length  is  4J  inches. 

The  fifth  and  lower  specimen  (fig  5)  is  from  Cape  Nome,  and  was 
secured  by  Mr.  E.  W.  Nelson.  The  handle  is  composed  of  two  pieces 
of  walrus  ivory ;  two  pegs  pass  vertically  through  them  to  hold  them 
together,  while  the  broad  blade  is,  as  usual,  inserted  in  slots  made  in 
both  pieces  of  handle.  The  wrapping  consists  of  sinew  or  hide,  being 
so  covered  with  a  layer  of  hard  grease  and  dirt  as  to  prevent  identifica 
tion.  The  front  edge  of  the  instrument  is  at  an  angle  sufficient  to 
furnish  an  excellent  cutting  edge.  The  entire  length  is  4-^  inches. 

In  addition  to  the  above  remarks  concerning  the  second  specimen,  it 
is  of  interest  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  upon  the  right-hand  side  of 
the  handle  there  occurs  a  rounded  cavity,  made  with  a  rude  implement, 
which  may  have  been  intended  for  use  in  drilling — by  steadying  the 
drill  at  the  top.  Such  depressions  and  for  such  purposes  are  not  rare. 

Mr.  L.  M.  Turner,  Captain  Herendeen,  and  others  to  whom  reference 
is  made  elsewhere  state  that  formerly  the  natives  used  fragments  of 
flint  or  quartz  with  which  to  engrave  and  decorate  specimens  of  ivory, 
bone,  and  other  materials  used  for  utensils  and  weapons.  The  small 
fragments  of  siliceous  material  were  inserted  in  the  end  of  wood  or  bone 
handles,  though  sometimes  they  were  large  enough  to  use  without  the 
aid  of  a  handle. 

After  a  careftil  examination  of  all  the  engraved  specimens  of  Alaskan 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  787 

art  work,  in  the  collections  of  the  National  Museum  at  Washington,  Dis 
trict  of  Columbia,  and  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company  in  San  Fran 
cisco,  California,  it  appears  that  the  more  modern  specimens  of  ivory 
are^  engraved  in  a  manner  indicating  the  use  of  steel-pointed  instru 
ments,  such  as  are  shown  in  plate  19.  The  lines  or  incisions  are  fre 
quently  very  pronounced  and  represent  deep  regular  channels  in  which 
the  two  sides  converge  to  a  sharp  cut  beneath  or  at  the  bottom,  resem 
bling  a  V-shaped  groove  of  elegant  uniformity.  In  Jfche  older  specimens 
of  Ivory  carving,  such  as  are  very  much  surface  worn  by  frequent  and 
long  continued  handling,  or  have  been  in  the  possession  of  certain 
individuals  and  families  for  a  long  time,  the  creases  have  become  less 
deep,  and  where  they  are  sheltered  by  lateral  ridges  they  still  indicate 
an  origin  of  a  more  primitive  kind,  being  made,  perhaps,  by  less  expe 
rienced  artists  or  with  ruder  instruments.  The  numerous  hair-line 
scratches  and  frequent  apparently  accidental  slips  of  the  point  would 
indicate  the  use  of  a  point  less  acute  than  the  modern  steel  gravers 
made  by  the  natives  at  this  day,  and  which  are  herewith  illustrated. 

In  some  of  the  later  engravings  the  grooves  are  regular,  deep,  and 
pronounced,  the  cnt  being  sometimes  vertical,  so  as  to  show  the  lateral 
edges  at  right  angles  to  the  horizontal  base  of  the  groove,  indicating  a 
strong  hand  pressure  of  a  square  cutting  edge.  The  greater  number  of 
lines  are  made,  evidently,  by  using  an  angle  of  the  graver,  the  result 
being  similar  to  that  resulting  from  the  use  of  a  variety  of  the  three- 
sided  or  triangular  graver  used  in  wood  engraving. 

~An  examination  of  the  ends  of  short  lines,  especially  those  employed 
in  simple  ornamentation,  illustrates  at  once  that  most  of  them  are  made 
by  cutting  from  the  outside  toward  the  main  object  or  body  of  the 
design.  In  this  manner  the  very  short  lines  resemble  arrow-headed 
ornaments  or  projections,  or  minute  triangles.  This  is  particularly 
apparent  in  some  of  the  specimens  referred  to  in  connection  with 
conventionalizing  and  to  the  art  of  the  Polynesians. 

Drills  and  simple  borers  appear  to  have  been  made  by  securing  to 
wooden  handles  rather  thin  but  elongated  pieces  of  chalcedony,  or  similar 
siliceous  minerals.  Slight  depressions  or  pits  apparently  made  by  such 
tools  are  frequent,  and  it  is  probable  that  before  the  introduction  of 
metals  nearly  all  perforations  in  bone,  wood,  and  probably  in  ivory, 
were  thus  made.  In  larger  cavities  in  bone  and  ivory,  such  as  would 
serve  for  steadying  the  rear  or  upper  end  of  a  fire-drill  during  rotation 
of  the  latter,  the  origin  thus  attributed  is  often  very  clear,  the  rounded 
cavity,  when  not  yet  entirely  smoothed  off  by  use,  retaining  the  marks 
of  workmanship  made  by  a  crude  tool  or  instrument. 

That  circles  were  made  by  turning  the  specimen  to  be  engraved  and 
holding  firmly  the  stone-pointed  graver  and  pushing  it  toward  the 
specimen  has  been  affirmed  by  one  correspondent;  but  such  instances 
were  no  doubt  rare,  and  it  is  believed  that  no  example  of  a  circle, 
nucleated  or  otherwise,  made  in  this  offhand  manner  will  be  found  in 
the  extensive  collection  of  the  National  Museum. 


788 


REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 


Captain  Hereiideen  states  that  sometimes  a  fragment  of  flint — though 
generally  one  of  iron  or  steel  and  consisting  of  a  narrow  strip  of  perhaps 
the  width  of  a  large  nail— was  filed  at  the  end  so  as  to  receive  a 
V-shaped  notch,  one  point  being  a  little  longer  than  the  other.  It  is 
well  known  that  pieces  of  hoop  iron,  nails,  and  other  articles  of  iron 
and  steel  are  similarly  employed  by  our  native  Indian 
tribes,  and  it  would  indeed  be  a  strange  fact  if  the  Eski 
mo  did  not  seize  upon  and  utilize  such  a  valuable  sub 
stance  as  metal  when  the  opportunity  was  presented, 
and  after  having  seen  sailors  and  others  work  them 
into  desired  shape  by  hammering  or  filing. 
The  nuclei  of  many — I  might  almost  say 
nearly  all — concentric  circles  are  deeper 
than  the  circles  surrounding  them.  This 
may  be  the  result  of  having  the  longer 
point  of  such  a  V-shaped  notched  tool 
forced  deeper  into  the  material  to  be  dec 
orated,  giving  the  instrument  a  secure 
point  for  rotation,  so  that  the  outer  or 
cutting  end  may  not  so  readily  slip  from 
its  intended  course. 

In  this  manner,  and  for  making  concentric 
rings,  one  such  tool  would  be  necessary  for 
each  size  of  circle  required.  Eeference  to 
the  various  illustrations  will  elucidate  this 
more  clearly. 

Accurate  measurements  of  the  diameters 
of  circles  upon  any  particular  specimens 
indicate  the  use  of  a  number  of  such  in 
struments  with  different  sized  bits,  and 
varying  distances  between  the  points. 

Another  class  of  circles,  with  nuclei, 
appear  to  be  made  with  auger  bits,  the 
central  pin  being  filed  to  a  sharp  point,  while  the 
outer  vertical  cutting  edge  is  also  filed  so  as  to  cut 
toward  the  surface  of  the  ivory,  and  to  remove  the  tex 
ture  upon  which  the  auger  is  impressed.  The  grooves 
resulting  from  such  work  and  with  such  an  instrument 
are  sharply  defined,  with  lateral  sides  and  a  nearly  level 
bottom,  while  the  circles  are  mathematically  accurate 
in  form.  An  illustration  of  such  work  is  reproduced  in 
plate  19,  the  specimen  being  from  a  locality  north  of  Norton  Sound. 
The  smaller  and  more  delicate  circles  occur  on  earrings  and  other  like 
objects  of  personal  adornment,  and  upon  such  articles  of  frequent  need 
as  sewing  utensils,  examples  of  which  are  given  in  a  number  of  illus 
trations. 


Fig.  5. 

DRILL  FROM  POINT 
BARROW. 


Fig.  6. 

DRILL  FROM  POINT 
BARROW. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS. 


789 


DRILL    MOUTHPIECE   WITHOUT 
WINGS. 


Upon  the  pipestems  also  are  shown  excellent  results  of  suclLaborigi- 
nal  work,  the  ivory  stein  shown  in  plate  20,  bearing  eight  sets  of 
circles,  that  one  nearest  the  brass-bound  mouthpiece  consisting  of  but 
a  single  circle  with  its  central  pit  or  nucleus  one-eighth  of  an  inch 
deep,  while  the  circle  itself  is  but  a  mere  hair  line  in  comparison ;  the 
next  two  figures  consist  of  two  circles  each  with  the  central  spot,  the 
next  four  having  three  circles  each  beside  the  central  point,  while 
the  last,  or  eighth,  has  four  concentric  rings  and  the  central  nucleus. 

According  to  measurement,  the  inner  or  pri 
mary  circle,  in  all,  is  three-sixteenths  of  an 
inch  in  diameter;  the  next  larger  one,  begin 
ning  with  the  second  ring,  is  one-fourth  of  an 
inch  in  diameter;  the  next  larger,  being  the 
outer  circle  on  the  fourth  figure,  measures 
three-eighths  of  an  inch,  while  the  outer  cir 
cle  of  the  last  figure,  having  four  rings,  meas 
ures  one-half  of  an  inch  in  diameter. 

The  central  pit  or  nucleus  in  each  of  the 

circles,  excepting  two,  is  filled  with  a  tightly  fitting  wooden  peg, 
smoothed  off  level  with  the  surrounding  surface,  and  carefully  black 
ened  to  accord  in  color  with  the  surrounding  blackened  circles. 

This  regularity  in  diameter  of  the  several  sizes  of  circles  indicates 
the  use  of  a  bit,  or  tool,  of  foreign  manufacture  which  the  natives 
obtained  probably  through  barter.  The  sizes  increase  by  one-sixteenth 
of  an  inch  each  time  a  change  is  made  corresponding  exactly  to  the 
regulation  sizes  used  by  carpenters  and  other  workers  in  wood. 

Drills  are  used  for  perforating  all  kinds  of  materials,  wood,  bone, 
ivory,  and  even  metals,  and  are  much  more  common  than  awls  among 
the  more  northern  natives.  The  handles  are  of  wood  and  sometimes 

bone,  the  point  being  made 
of  iron  or  steel,  though  before 
the  introduction  of  metals 
flint  and  similar  siliceous  ma 
terials  were  employed  in  arm 
ing  the  tool. 

The  illustration  given  in 
fig.  5  is  a  bone  pointed  drill 
from  Point  Barrow,  while  fig. 
6  represents  one  with  an  iron  drill  mounted  in  a  handle  of  spruce  wood 
which  was  once  painted  with  red  ocher.  When  the  natives  use  the  drill 
and  bow,  both  hands  are  necessarily  occupied,  one  in  steadying  the 
object  to  be  perforated  while  with  the  other  the  bow  is  held  and  moved 
horizontally  to  rotate  the  drill. 

Therefore,  to  produce  the  necessary  pressure  upon  the  top  of  the 
drill,  the  native  puts  into  his  mouth  a  drill  mouthpiece  in  which  the 
top  of  drill  rotates.  Fig.  7  represents  a  mouthpiece  with  an  iron 


Fig.  8. 

DRILL  MOUTHPIECE  WITH  SOCKET  OF  IRON. 


790  REPORT   OF   NATIONAL   MUSEUM,  1895. 

socket,  while  in  fig.  8  is  another  also  of  wood,  but  holding  a  socket  of 
syenite  to  withstand  the  friction  of  the  drill. 

Some  of  the  specimens  in  the  collections  of  the  National  Museum  are 
decorated  with  the  usual  deep  incisions  found  in  Point  Barrow  bag- 
handles  and  tinted  with  what  appears  to  be  red  ocher. 

In  several  instances  the  wooden  pegs  inserted  in  the  perforations 
made  to  represent  eyes,  ears,  or  nostrils,  of  small  animal  forms,  are 
colored,  and  in  other  specimens,  such  as  earrings,  glass  or  porcelain 
beads  are  inserted  instead. 

After  the  etchings  have  been  made  in  the  ivory  or  other  material, 
the  creases  or  incisions  are  colored  so  as  to  bring  out  the  design  in 
sharp  contrast  to  the  surrounding  surface. 

Mr.  Turner  informs  me  that  "the  black  substance  used  to  color  the 
etched  lines  was  from  the  charcoal  prepared  from  burned  grass,  then 
powdered,  mixed  with  oil,  and  rubbed  into  the  etching.  Afterwards  the 
begrimed  hand  of  the  owner  was  sufficient  to  renew  the  coloring  mat 
ter.  Some  of  the  etchings  are  colored  with  a  red  substance  which  (an 
innovation  in  the  art)  is  procured  from  the  traders'  stock." 

Mr.  W.  H.  Ball  remarks: 

The  coloration  of  wooden  articles  with  native  pigments  is  of  ancient  origin,  but 
all  the  more  elaborate  instances  that  have  come  to  my  knowledge  bore  marks  of 
comparatively  recent  origin.  The  pigments  used  were  blue  carbonates  of  iron  and 
copper ;  the  green  fungus,  or  peziza,  found  in  decayed  birch  and  alder  wood ;  haema 
tite  and  red  chalk ;  white  infusorial  or  chalky  earth ;  black  charcoal,  graphite,  and 
micaceous  ore  of  irons. 

A  species  of  red  was  sometimes  derived  from  pine  bark  or  the  cambium  of  ground 
willow.  In  later  prehistoric  burial  places,  the  wooden  earrings  bear  the  colors 
nearly  as  bright  as  when  first  applied. 

PORTRAYAL   OF  NATURAL  AND   OTHER   OBJECTS. 

In  the  following  illustrations,  which  represent  selected  figures  from 
various  records,  will  be  noted  the  several  styles  of  illustrating  like 
species  of  animals,  and  the  fidelity  of  expression  and  outline  of  some 
specimens  in  further  illustration  of  the  intimate  acquaintance  by  the 
aboriginal  artist  of  the  subject  by  which  he  attempted  to  portray  his 
skill. 

Plate  12  serves  to  illustrate  the  form  of  the  Barren-ground  caribou 
or  Alaskan  reindeer,  as  well  as  the  horns  of  the  male  and  female,  while 
in  the  representation  of  the  form  of  the  walrus  similar  accuracy  is 
attained,  as  may  be  observed  by  comparing  numerous  etchings  with 
the  illustration  on  Plate  11,  which  represents  an  exceedingly  well- 
formed  walrus. 

In  fig.  9  is  presented  a  herd  of  reindeer  shown  in  various  attitudes, 
the  general  execution  of  the  figures  being  very  cleverly  done.  The 
heads  of  some  are  turned  to  the  front,  thus  showing  decided  success  in 
an  attempt  at  foreshortening;  some  of  the  animals  are  lying  down,  as 
if  resting,  while  others  appear  to  be  browsing. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,   '  895.  —  Hoffman. 


PLATE  20. 


§ 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  791 

The  animals  composing  the  herd  in  fig.  10  are  engraved  so  as  to  rep 
resent  them  in  various  attitudes.  In  No.  1  the  animal  appears  to  be 
coming  up,  as  out  of  a  depression,  or  water,  while  in  No.  2  the  animal 
is  grazing.  No.  3  is  in  the  act  of  lying  down,  as  shown  in  the  bent 
legs.  In  No.  4  the  animal  is  lying  down,  and  the  head  is  drawn  so  as 
to  make  it  appear  as  if  looking  either  toward  or  away  from  the  beholder. 


<L. 

fTHiv   PT*    M^   m 


Fig.  9. 

HERD   OF  REINDEER. 

Foreshortening  is  of  rare  occurrence  in  primitive  art,  but  besides  the 
preceding  instance  the  animal  in  No.  G  is  also  partly  portrayed  in  such 
an  attitude.  No.  5  is  not  definitely  depicted,  the  horns  being  in 
such  relative  position  with  the  body  as  if  the  animal's  head  were  turned 
around  as  if  it  were  licking  its  side.  No.  7  is  a  doe,  while  No.  8  is  a 
male,  without  any  indication  of  action  being  shown. 


2  3  4567  8 

Fig.  10. 

HERD  OF  REINDEER. 

Infig.  11  the  native  artist  has  certainly  expressed  an  intimate  acquaint 
ance  with  the  habits  of  deer.  The  attitude  of  the  animal  in  No.  1 
seems  one  of  careless  interest,  if  it  may  be  so  designated,  in  what  the 
rest  of  his  comrades  may  show  more  concern.  No.  2  is  in  the  attitude 
of  rising  from  the  ground,  while  that  in  No.  3  exhibits  a  desire  to  move 
away  as  if  from  an  enemy.  No.  4  is  shown,  by  the  position  of  the  legs, 


k  m 


Fig.  11.  Fig.  12. 

HERD  OF  STARTLED  DEER.  HERD  OF  STARTLED  DEER. 

to  exhibit  more  activity  in  hastening  away.  The  foreshortening  visible 
in  No.  5  seems  to  place  the  leader  of  the  herd  in  the  attitude  of  a  pro 
tector,  being  on  the  defensive,  and  showing  a  disinclination  to  run 
away  from  those  over  whom  he  may  have  exercised  the  privileges  or 
rights  of  a  leader.  In  this  instance,  as  in  the  following  illustration, 
very  excellent  workmanship  and  artistic  taste  are  exhibited. 
In  the  illustration  shown  in  fig.  12  the  deer  have  congregated 


792  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

because  of  an  alarm,  their  heads  being  directed  forward  toward  the 
beholder,  the  foreshortening  being"  admirably  executed.  Four  animals 
are  indicated,  three  being  so  closely  placed  as  to  make  identification 
rather  difficult. 

The  various  attitudes  of  reindeer  portrayed  in  fig.  13  are  readily 
discernible,  the  heads  and  horns  aiding  in  specifically  distinguishing 
the  sexes,  as  also  the  various  degrees  of  interest  manifested  at  an 
alarm,  caused  by  the  unseen  approach  of  a  hunter.  The  figure  at  the 
right  end  of  the  illustration  shows  the  native  crawling  up  behind  a 
hillock  covered  with  tall  grass  and  weeds,  his  hand  holding  an  arrow 
and  bow  which  he  pushes  forward  before  him.  Several  of  the  animals 
are  drawn  foreshortened,  an  attempt  in  art  seldom  found  among  the 
aborigines. 

Plate  21,  fig.  3,  is  a  drill  bow,  and  is  from  Kotzebue  Sound.  The 
upper  or  convex  side  represents  a  herd  of  thirteen  reindeer  in  various 
attitudes  of  moving  forward  and  grazing.  The  fourth  animal  from  the 
left  end  is  drawn  with  its  head  very  gracefully  elevated  and  looking 
backward,  a  fact  very  unusual  in  an  aboriginal  pictograph.  The 
curves  are  deep  and  heavy  and  quite  characteristic  of  the  engravings 
of  natives  of  the  region  from  which  the  specimen  was  obtained. 


Fig.  13. 

HERD   OF  REINDEER. 

This  illustration  is  from  the  same  bow  of  which  the  reverse  is  shown 
in  plate  i>2,  fig.  2. 

Plate  21,  fig.  6,  is  also  a4  drill  bow  from  Kotzebue  Sound,  and  is 
very  yellow  with  age.  The  figures  portrayed  denote  reindeer.  The 
peculiarity  of  this  record  is  the  depth  of  the  incisions  forming  the 
characters,  indicating  bold,  strong  work.  The  under  surface  of  the 
bow  also  bears  the  outlines  of  reindeer  (somewhat  larger  than  those 
upon  the  opposite  side),  which  are  drawn  with  great  fidelity  to  specific 
features,  with  the  exception  of  the  shape  of  the  body.  The  peculiari 
ties  of  the  horns  are  carefully  noted  by  the  artist,  and  the  various 
attitudes  are  exceedingly  natural. 

Plate  22,  fig.  2,  represents  a  drill  bow  also  from  Kotzebue  Sound, 
measuring  14  inches  in  length  along  the  convex  surface.  The  record 
portrays  thirteen  reindeer  and  three  animals  which  may  belong  to  the 
same  species,  although  because  of  their  shorter  necks  and  stouter 
bodies  identification  is  uncertain.  The  herd  seems  to  be  moving  for 
ward,  some  of  them  engaged  in  browsing,  and  some  attempt  appears 
to  be  made  at  perspective.  The  three  short  lines  at  the  upper  right- 
hand  side  of  the  bow  immediately  above  and  in  front  of  the  right-hand 
figures  of  the  deer  are  the  outlines  of  three  otter.  All  of  these 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    21. 


Fig.  1.  BAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  No.  48531,  IT.  S.  N.  M.) 

Fig.  2.  DRILL  Bow. 

(Cat.  No.  48521,  U.  S.  N.  M.) 

Fig.  3.  BAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  No. 48528, U.  S. KM.) 

Fig.  4.  BAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  No.  48529,  U.  S.  N.  M.) 

Fig.  5.  DRILL  Bow. 

(Cat.  No.  48520,  U.  S.  N.  M.) 

Fig.  6.  BAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat,  No.  48530,  U.  S.  N.  M.) 
All  from  Kotzebue  Sound.    Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson. 


Report  of  U    S    National  Museum,  1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  21 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    22. 


Fig.  4. 
Fi«j.  5. 


BAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  X<>.  48531,  F.  S.  X.  M.) 

BAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  Xo.  48.128,  TL  S.  X.  M.) 

DRILL  Bow. 

(Cat.  Xo.  48r>25,  F.  S.  X.  M.) 

All  froir.  Kotzebue  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Xclson. 

BAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  Xo.  89424,  TT.  S.  X.  M.     Poiut  Barrow.     Collected  by  Lieut.  P.  II.  Ray,  V.  S.  A.) 

DRILL  Bow. 

(Cat.  Xo.  48521,  V.  S.  X.  M.     Kotzebue  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Xelson.) 


Report  of   U.  S.  National  Museum,   1  895.  — Hoffman. 


PLATE  22. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895. — Hoffman. 


PLATE  23. 


UTENSILS  OF  BONE  AND  HORN. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    23 


Fig.  1.  REEL  FOR  SINEW  FOR  SMALL  NETS. 

(Cat.  No.  43523,  U.  S.  I?.  M.     Cape  Vancouver.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Kelson.) 

Fig.  2.  BONE  SEINE  SHUTTLE. 

(Cat.  No.  44448,  U.  S.  1ST.  M.     Cape  Nome.     Collected  by  E.  "W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  3.  GRASS  COMB  OF  BONE. 

(Cat.  No.  48541,  IT.  S.  N.  M.     Kotzebue  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  4.  FISHING  IMPLEMENT. 

(Cat.  No.  38276,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Lower  Yukon.     Collected  by  E.  AV.  Nelson.) 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  24. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    24 


Fig.  1.  DRILL  Bow. 

(Cat.  No.  44209,  TJ.  S.  N.  M.     Cape  Darby.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  2.  DRILL  Bow. 

(Cat,  No.  28021,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Sledge  Island.) 
Fig.  3.  DRILL  Bow. 

(Cat.  No.  43931.  IT.  S.  N.  M.    Nubuiakbebugaluk.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  4.  DRILL  Bow. 

(Cat.  No.  44466,  U.S.  N.M.     Cape  Nome.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  5.  BODKIN. 

(Cat.  No.  33176,  TJ.  S.  N.  M.    Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  \V.  Nelson. ) 

Fig.  6.  BODKIN. 

(Cat.  No.  33177,  IT.  S.  N.  M.     Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 


Report  of   U.  S    National  Museum,   1  895.- Hoffman. 


PLATE  25. 


BOXES  OF  BONE  AND  TUSK. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    25, 


Fig.  1.  IVORY  CASKET. 

(Cat.  No.  24606.     St.  Michaels.     Collected  by  L.  M.  Turner.) 
Fig.  2.  SNUFF  Box. 

(Cat.  No.  33197,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  3.  Box  FOR  FUNGUS  ASH. 

(Cat.  No.  48558,  U.  S.  N.  M.    Kotzebue  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  793 

engravings  are  characteristic  of  the  crude  deeply  incised  lines  of  the 
work  accomplished  by  the  Indians  of  Kotzebue  Sound  and  vicinity. 

Plate  23,  fig.  2,  is  a  bone  seine  shuttle  from  Cape  Nome.  This  is 
ornamented  with  several  almost  indefinite  lines  at  the  left,  probably 
representing  seals,  while  the  four  conspicuous  characters  represent 
well-engraved  outlines  of  the  reindeer.  The  shading  or  marking  upon 
the  bodies  of  the  animals  is  indicative  of  the  markings  of  color  upon 
the  animal,  and  upon  the  two  middle  figures  this  marking  is  indicated 
by  delicate  vertical  lines  very  artistically  rendered. 

Plate  24,  fig.  4,  represents  a  triangular  drill  bow  obtained  at  Cape 
Nome.  The  specimen  measures  13J  inches  in  length.  The  thirteen 
figures  at  the  left  represent  walruses,  two  of  them  heading  toward  a 
kaiak  occupied  by  a  single  hunter  who  appears  to  be  chased  by  a 
walrus  coming  from  the  opposite  direction,  as  if  it  had  been  pursued 
and  probably  angered  by  the  five  hunters  shown  in  the  umiak  immedi 
ately  to  the  right  of  it.  The  native  in  the  stern  end  of  this  umiak  has 
successfully  harpooned  a  walrus,  as  is  indicated  by  the  delicate  zigzag 
line  connecting  his  hand  with  the  harpoon  which  is  securely  embedded 
in  the  breast  of  the  animal.  Now,  turning  the  bow  upside  down,  there 
will  be  seen  two  walruses  being  towed  along  by  an  umiak  occupied  by 
five  hunters.  Immediately  to  the  left  of  this  umiak 
is  another  boat  of  similar  construction  which  has  just 
been  pulled  on  shore,  as  the  position  of  the  boat  indi 
cates,  as  well  as  the  attitude  of  the  six  natives  walk-  ^. 
ing  along  toward  the  left,  each  with  something  in  his  FLYING  BIRD. 
hands,  which  has  evidently  been  taken  from  the  boat, 
and  which  has  been  captured  or  secured  on  the  hunt.  The  remaining 
six  figures  indicate  habitations.  Again  reversing  the  bow  to  the  origi 
nal  position,  opposite  to  the  beached  umiak  is  a  walrus  which  has  been 
captured  by  the  hunters  in  the  umiak  proceeding  toward  the  right  and 
toward  another  walrus  which  is  there  shown.  The  remaining  six  fig 
ures  indicate  habitations  and  storehouses,  while  between  the  former 
are  shown  human  figures  in  various  attitudes  as  if  occupied  in  different 
tasks.  The  under  sides  of  the  bow  bear  hunting  records,  numbers  of 
which  will  be  shown  in  other  connections. 

On  plate  25,  fig.  3,  is  shown  a  box  for  fungus  ash.  This  appears  to 
be  made  of  a  piece  of  bone,  is  very  crude,  and  bears  about  the  middle 
a  row  of  five  figures,  the  larger  one  representing  a  whale,  the  next  a 
reindeer,  while  the  three  smaller  ones  appear  to  be  animals  of  the  same 
species. 

Fig.  14  probably  denotes  one  of  the  water  birds,  though  why  it  fig 
ures  on  the  ivory  drill  bow  without  any  other  characters,  in  context,  it 
is  impossible  to  say.  The  attempt  at  engraving  a  record  may  have 
been  abandoned. 

The  two  characters  shown  in  fig.  15,  are  without  doubt  deer,  as  no 
other  species  of  the  family  is  found  in  Alaska  in  which  the  tangs  of 
the  horns  project  from  the  posterior  ridge  of  the  main  branch.  In  the 


794 


REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 


elk,  which  is  not  found  so  far  north,  the  tangs  project  from  the  ante 
rior  ridge,  while  in  the  reindeer  the  horn  is  specifically  bent  forward 

at  the  middle,  and  the 
anterior  prong,  or  "snow 
shovel,"  is  also  usually 
indicated. 

The  accompanying  il 
lustration  of  the  rein 


Fie. 16. 


deer,  fig.  16,  is  carefully 

drawn  to  Indicate  the  peculiarity  of  the  curved  horns.     It  is  rather  too 
short  in  the  limbs  in  comparison  to  the  size  of  the  body,  and  although 
the  work  is  tolerably   good,   comparison  with 
other  illustrations  will  be  found  to  be  of  interest. 
Fig.  17  is  a  variant  of  the 
proceeding,  and  much  better 
in  both   resemblance  to  the 

xbOiinj^AibXb) 

animal    it    is    intended  to 

represent  as  well  as  in  an  artistic  point  of  view. 
The  accompanying  figures  illustrate  the  various 
typical  forms  of  the  same  animal  as  drawn  by  the 
natives  of  various  parts  of  the  west  coast  of  Alaska.  Fig.  18  repre 
sents  some  etchings  from  a  specimen  obtained  in  Point  Barrow,  though 
the  style  of  en 
graving  is  not 
very  much  like 
that  of  those 
people. 

This  appears 
to  be  one  of 
the  few  groups 
in  which  the 

horns  are  so  unusually  high  and  in  which  each  animal  has  but  two 
legs,  one  at  each  end  of  the  body. 

A  specimen  of  the  reindeer  shown  in  fig.  19  is  from  a  fragment  of  a 

bone  obtained  at  Xor- 
ton  Sound.  Although 
the  interior  decora 
tion  consists  of  cross 
lines,  these  are  diago 
nal  instead  of  at  right 
angles,  as  before.  A 
great  difference  in  the 
art  work  is  visible. 
Two  interesting  specimens  are 
The  character  shown 


Fig.  19. 

REINDEER  PURSUED  BY  WOLF. 


The  reindeer  is  followed  by  a  wolf. 

reproduced  from  specimen  from  Kotzebue  Sound. 

in  fig.  20  is  heavy  in  outline,  in  having  a  stout  body,  over  which  the 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    26 


1      2      3 


St.  Michaels.     Collected  by  L.  M.  Turner.) 


Fig.  1.  SEAL  DRAG. 

(Cat.  Xo.  129227,  U.  S.  X.  M. 

Fig.  2.  HANDLE  FOR  KANTAG. 

(Cat.  No.  36375,  U.  S.  X.  M.     Lower  Yukon.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Xelson.) 
Fig.  3.  SEAL  DRAG.     Made  to  represent  two  seal  heads,  upon  the  throat  being  effigy 

of  whale,  partly  detached. 
(Cat.  Xo.  33663,  U.  S.  X.  M.     St.  Michaels  Island.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Xelson.) 


Report  of   U    S.  National  Museum,  1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  26. 


SEAL  DRAGS  AND  BAG  HAND'.;: 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS. 


795 


Fig. 20. 

REINDEER,    KOT/EBUE   SOUND. 


Fig.  21. 

REINDEER,    KOTZEBTJE  SOUND. 


Fig.  22. 
REINDEER. 


the  etching  extends  almost  entirely,  while  in  fig.  21  the  body  of  a  simi 
lar  animal  from  the  same  locality  has  but  a  few  cross  lines.    The  horns 
are  very  well  represented  within  outline  and 
general  curvature. 

An   interesting  pair   of  animals   is   shown 
in    tig.   22,   the    foreshortening    being   admir 
ably  drawn,  while  at  the  same  time  maintain 
ing  the  typical  spe 
cific  features  which 
are    visible    in    all 

other   native   drawings   of  the   reindeer. 

-Try — :  Li      .     ~  Plate  26,  fig.   1,  represents   a  seal  drag 

"  \\         */  "  from  St.  Michaels.     Upon  the  upper  portion 

of  the    ivory  utensil   are  neat  outlines  of 
wolves,    made    with 
considerable    delica 
cy.     The   ornamental  lines  upon   which  they 
stand  and  those  encircling  the  ends  of  the  or 
nament  are  a  sort  of  meander  or  crude  zigzag, 
of  which  a  description  is 

given  elsewhere  in  connection  with  decoration. 
Plate  14,  fig.  1,  represents  a  fragment  of  bone 
Fig.  23.  from  Norton  Sound,  upon  which  is  a  rude  etching 

WOLP-  of  a  reindeer  approaching  a  wolf,  the  latter  in  an 

inverted  position.    At  the  right  hand 

is  a  perforation,  about  which  is  a  rude  circle  ornamented 
with  four  radiating  lines.  Beneath  this  circle  are  two  par 
allel  curved  lines  with  inner  radiating  lines,  resulting  in  a 
very  crude  meander  pattern. 

The  illustration  of  a  wolf  (fig.  23)  shows  the  fangs  in 

"?  the  partly  open  mouth,  the  stiff  ears,  and  long  bushy  tail. 

*j^         The  markings  upon  the  body  may  be  simply  in  imitation 

/\          of  the  etchings  found  upon  most  outline  or  solid  figures, 

J    \^        though  they  greatly  suggest  the  brindled  fur  of 

Fig.  25.        the  Ganis  occidentalis  Dekay. 

HUMAN  FORM.        The  porcupine  is  quite  common  in  some  of  the 
southern  portions  of  Alaska,  and  fig.  24  represents 
one  of  these  animals,  the  spines  of  which  are  used  in  decora 
tive  work. 

The  engraving  seems  to  have  been  made  with  a  very  sharp 
tool,  as  the  outlines  are  groups  of  thin  parallel  hair  lines. 

The  selected  character  reproduced  in  fig.  25  is  so  unusual 
in  general  form,  as  found  upon  ivory  or  other  engravings  of 
the  Eskimo,  that  its  presentation  here  is  of  interest  for  purposes 
of  comparison  with  the  pictographs  of  other  peoples,  especially  the 
petroglyphs  of  the  western  and  southwestern,  or  Pacific  Coast  States, 


Fig.  24. 
PORCUPINE. 


Fig.  26. 

TWO  MEN 
IN  CLOSE 
EMBRACE. 


796  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL   MUSEUM,  1895. 

embracing  the  area  chiefly  occupied  by  tribes  of  the  Shoshonian  lin 
guistic  family. 

Two  figures  shown  in  close  embrace,  as  in  fig.  20,  may  also  denote 
combat,  as  well  as  the  ceremonial  of  the  shaman,  in  which  the  demon 
causing  the  illness  is  shown  near  the  body  of  the  sick  person  from 
which  it  is  expelled. 

The  group  of  figures  of  the  human  form  (fig.  27)  are  selected  from  a 
number  of  engravings  on  ivory  bows,  chiefly  from  southern  Alaska. 

No.  1  is  a  form  frequently  occurring  in  Kiate'xamut  Eskimo  picto- 
graphs  on  wood,  as  when  drawn  upon  slabs  of  shingle  or  other  smooth 


12345  6  7  8 

Fig.  27. 

VARIENTS  OF  THE  HUMAN  FORM. 

surface  to  place  over  the  door  of  the  habitation  when  the  owner  Leaves 
for  any  purpose.  It  is  abbreviated,  and  the  result  of  carelessness  or 
perhaps  incompetency  of  the  recorder.  No.  2  is  another  form  of  man 
in  which  only  the  lower  extremities  are  indicated,  while  in  No.  3  the 
arms  are  thrown  out  horizontally  from  the  body  to  denote  the  gesture 
for  negation,  nothing.  No.  4  is  a  headless  body  and  does  not  always 
denote  death,  as  is  the  practice  among  other  pictographers,  notably  so 
the  Ojibwa.  No  special  information  was  received  respecting  the  char 
acter,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  head  was  obliterated  by  erosion, 
having  originally  been  drawn.  The  specimen  was  copied  from  an  ivory 
utensil  in  the  collection  of  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company  in  San 
Francisco,  California,  and  was  obtained  from  the  Aiqalu'xamut  Eskimo. 


H4^ 


Fig.  28. 
VARIOUS  FORMS   OF  VESSELS. 

The  character  in  No.  5  denotes  a  canoe,  or  kaiak,  with  two  persons 
within  it,  while  the  two  paddles  project  beneath.  The  right-hand 
upward  stroke  of  the  boat  represents  the  bow  of  the  vessel.  Nos.  6 
and  7,  from  Cape  Nome,  Alaska,  are  variants  of  the  human  form  with 
arms  loosely  extended,  and  form  in  No.  8,  having  fringe  suspended 
from  the  sleeves,  probably  a  shaman,  and  very  similar  to  the  Ojibwa 
designation  of  the  Thunder  bird,  one  of  the  divinities  of  the  western 
Algonkian  tribes.  The  figure  (No.  8)  was  copied  from  an  ivory  drill 
bow  obtained  at  Port  Clarence,  Alaska,  by  Doctor  T.  H.  Bean,  formerly 
of  the  United  States  National  Museum. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,   1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  27. 


Report  of  U    S.  National  Museum,   1895. — Hoffmar 


PLATE  28. 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS. 


797 


Fig.  29. 

WHALING   SHIPS  NEAR  A  PINE-COVERED  SHORE. 


The  portrayal  by  the  native  artist  of  boats,  both  the  kaiak  and  the 
umiak,  is  of  such  frequent  occurrence  in  the  Alaskan  etchings  and  toy 
carvings  that  the  photographic  reproduction  of  native-made  models 
may  be  deemed  of  special  interest.  Plate  27  represents  a  kaiak,  while 
the  illustration  shown 
in  plate  28  represents  an 
umiak  with  raised  sail. 
Comparisons  with 
etchings  are  suggested, 
as  numerous  examples 
of  the  former  occur  in 
abundance,  and  will  be  referred  to  elsewhere  and  in  another  connection. 
Fig.  28  represents  four  vessels  rigged  up  with  sails,  the  one  at  the 
extreme  left  being  manned  by  Americans  or  mixed  bloods,  distinguished 
by  the  presence  of  hats  upon  their  heads.  The  hulls  of  the  second, 
third,  and  right-hand  figures  are  in  imitation  of 
the  native  made  vessel  of  that  size,  which  is 
adapted  to  the  erection  of  masts  and  small  sails. 
The  artist  has  evidently  intended  to  represent 
the  different  varieties  used  by  him  or  his  family. 
In  fig.  29  are  represented  two  vessels,  under 
full  sail,  within  reasonable  distance  from  shore, 
as  is  indicated  by  the  presence  of  two  pines  which  loom  up  in  the  mid 
dle  distance.  No  special  motive  appears  to  have  prompted  the  delinea 
tion  of  the  ships,  excepting  perhaps  the  record  of  an  unusual  event 
in  the  history  of  the  locality  where  it  is  supposed  to  have  occurred. 

The  portrayal  of  a  schooner  (fig.  30) 
is  perhaps  only  the  result  of  "having 
nothing  better  to  do,"  as  loungers  often 
whittle  or  engrave  figures  or  outlines 
of  such  things  that  create  passing  in 
terest.  It  is  probable  too  that  some 
thing  of  greater  interest  may  have  been 
connected  with  the  arrival  of  a  vessel  from  civilization.  This,  however, 
could  only  be  cleared  up  by  the  artist  himself  or  the  person  for  whom  it 
may  have  been  drawn. 

In  like  manner,  the  illustration  shown  in  fig.  31  may  have  been 

engraved  because  of  some 
event  of  consequence  con 
nected  therewith,  or  perhaps 
because  of  the  peculiar  ap 
pearance  in  the  Alaska  waters 
of  a  vessel  with  but  one  wheel,  and  that  at  the  stern.  Such  vessels  are 
common  on  inland  waters  of  the  United  States,  but  their  seldom  occur 
rence  so  far  north  may  have  been  deemed  of  sufficient  importance  of 
which  to  make  a  permanent  record. 


Fig.  31. 

STERN-WHEEL  STEAMBOAT. 


798  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL   MUSEUM,  1895. 

A  crude  or  unfinished  umiak  with  four  occupants  is  shown  in  fig.  32. 
The  bodies  are  not  indicated;  the  heads,  arms,  and  oars  being  incised. 
The  umiak  itself  is  well  drawn,  but  with  mast  or  rigging  erected. 

Further  reference  to  vessels,  both  as  to  pictographic  variants  and  in 
relation  to  conveyance  by  this  means,  will  be  made  farther  on  in  con 
nection  with  conveyance  and  domestic  avocations. 

REPRESENTATION  BY  SYNECDOCHE. 

The  representation  of  part  of  an  object  to  represent  the  whole,  or  vice 
versa,  is  not  so  common  in  the  etchings  of  the  Eskimo  as  in  the  picto- 
graphs  of  the  Indians. 

In  many  instances  in  the  ornamented  ivory  records,  parts  of  animal 
or  other  forms  are  portrayed  in  this  manner,  and  such  abbreviated 
characters  are  subsequently  utilized  and  arranged  in  such  order  so  as 
to  serve  the  purpose  of  simple  ornamentation,  the  primary  object  or 
concept  having  but  little  if  any  further  connection  in  its  new  position. 

Mr.  L.  M.  Turner1  informs  me  that  "the  marginal  engravures, 
resembling  the  tail  of  a  whale,  are  intended  to  represent  the  number 
of  white  whales  [Delpliinapterus  catodon  (Linna3us)  Gill.]  the  owner  (or 
maker)  of  the  ivory  article  has  personally  killed  or  taken  in  a  net. 


Fig.  33. 

ESKIMO  HUNTER  AND  HERD   OF  REINDEER. 

There  are,  sometimes,  partnership  pursuits  of  these  whales  (as  well  as 
other  creatures),  and  by  mutual  agreement  the  quarry  falls  to  him  who 
first  struck,  killed,  or  otherwise  would  have  secured  the  whales." 

The  spears  which  are  portrayed  upon  some  of  the  engravings  of 
natives  in  kaiaks  are  placed  so  as  to  be  upon  a  rest,  similar  to  that 
shown  in  plate  29,  in  order  that  they  may  be  quickly  grasped  for  use. 
These  rests  are  made  of  ivory,  and  in  many  instances  are  decorated. 
The  specimen  herewith  reproduced  is  from  Point  Barrow,  where  it  was 
obtained  by  Lieutenant  P.  H.  Ray,  U.  S.  A.,  and  by  him  sent  to  the 
National  Museum. 

The  entire  length  of  the  specimen  is  SJ  inches,  the  distance  across 
the  horns  fleiug  4J  inches,  and  across  the  base,  just  beneath  the  figures 
of  the  whales'  tails,  2£  inches. 

The  tails  denote  the  owner  to  have  been  a  whale  hunter.  The  top  of 
the  horns  is  fashioned  in  imitation  of  a  whale's  head,  the  long-curved 
mouth  being  carefully  indicated,  while  blue  beads  are  inserted  to  indi 
cate  the  eyes.  Upon  the  outer  edge  of  each  horn,  corresponding  to 
the  back  of  the  whale,  is  a  cross,  in  the  middle  of  which  is  a  blue 
bead.  The  four  loops  of  thong  are  for  attachment  to  the  boat. 


1  Letter  dated  February  25, 1895. 


Report  of  U.  S    National  Museum,   1  895.  — Hoffman 


PLATE  29. 


SPEAR  REST.  POINT  BARROW. 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  799 

Iii  the  illustration  shown  in  figure  33,  the  idea  of  many  and  much  is 
expressed  in  the  same  line  of  thought  or  conception  as  in  gesture  lan 
guage.  The  herd  of  animals,  instead  of  being  indicated  by  drawing 
the  bodies  of  those  in  the  foreground  singly  and  complete,  and  only 
parts  of  those  beyond  being  perceivable  to  the  beholder,  is  represented, 
with  one  individual  exception,  by  a  single  figure  of  a  long  body,  the 
thirteen  heads  being  subsequently  placed  at  proper  intervals  above  it, 
while  a  certain,  though  deficient,  number  of  legs  and  feet  are  drawn 
beneath  and  extending  to  the  ground.  These  are  all  drawn  as  if  escap 
ing  from  the  hunter. 

At  the  extreme  end  of  the  engraving  is  the  representation  of  a 
hunter,  armed  with  bow,  and  indications  of  arrows.  Parts  of  the  figure 
have  become  obliterated  by  frequent  use  of  the  ivory  drill  bow.  The 
deer  next  to  the  hunter  does  not  face  in  an  opposite  direction,  as  if 
escaping,  but  is  drawn  with  the  head  lowered  and  directed  toward  him. 
The  attitude  has  perhaps  no  special  signification,  further  than  that 
this  deer  was  secured  by  being  shot  with  an  arrow,  whereas  the 
remainder  of  the  herd  which  the  hunter  saw  escaped.  Compare  also 
figure  of  herds  in  plate  65,  fig.  4. 

Plate  21,  fig.  3,  represents  the  convex  side  of  a  drill  bow,  on  the  right 
half  of  which  are  thirty  transverse  figures  representing  that  number 
of  wolf  pelts.  To  the  right  is  one  otter  skin  and  the  outlines  of  ten 
bearskins.  As  will  be  observed,  these  figures  are  deeply  cut  and  rather 
conventionalized.  The  great  amount  of  coloring  matter  and  deep  inci 
sions  represent  the  bold,  strong  work,  characteristic  of  the  natives  of 
Kotzebue  Sound.  The  lateral  edges  are  ornamented  with  parallel 
longitudinal  lines. 

The  regular  order  of  the  outline  of  pelts  and  hides  is  perhaps  not  only 
illustrative  of  the  great  number  of  animals  killed,  but  the  regularity  and 
repetition  of  specific  parts  of  the  animal's  body,  and  the  concavity  of 
the  sides  of  the  bears'  skins,  is  a  tendency  toward  conventionalizing. 
On  the  whole,  the  record  is  a  good  illustration  of  synecdoche. 

As  there  will  be  occasion  to  refer  to  another  curious  subject  in  pictog 
raphy — the  transmission  of  special  characters,  or  the  utilization  of 
native  symbolic  characters  to  serve  as  substitutes  to  replace  imported 
or  intrusive  forms — it  may  not  be  amiss  to  refer  in  this  connection 
to  the  interesting  result  noted  in  British  coins,  in  which  the  native 
Britons  copied  the  obverse  and  reverse  engravings  which  they  found 
upon  the  gold  stater  of  Philip  of  Macedon.  The  coins  were  introduced 
into  the  country  of  the  littoral  tribes  through  traffic  with  the  Gauls, 
while  the  latter  obtained  possession  of  them  after  Greece  was  plundered 
by  Brennus,  B.  C.  279. 

The  reverse  of  the  typical  stater  bears  a  charioteer  in  a  biga,  th^ 
two  horses  in  the  attitude  of  running,  while  behind  is  the  outline  of  a 
wheel,  usually  elliptical,  as  the  space  was  not  sufficiently  large  to  permit 
a  circle  as  large  as  the  extreme  length  of  the  ellipse  to  be  recorded. 


800  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

The  Britons  in  adopting  the  design  for  their  native  coins,  and  being 
perhaps — I  may  suggest  the  word  certainly — unacquainted  with  the 
form,  or  use,  of  the  chariot,  and  the  signification  of  other  characters 
and  figures  found  upon  the  Greek  prototype,  reproduced  in  their  suc 
cessive  issues  and  recoinings  variations  in  these  foreign  characters,  or 
replaced  them  by  symbols  with  which  they  were  acquainted  and  of 
which  they  comprehended  the  signification. 

In  many  of  the  British  coins  the  horses  are  reduced  to  a  single 
animal,  though  with  legs  sufficient  for  two,  clearly  representing  the 
pair  by  synecdoche,  exactly  as  our  ^North  American  Indian  does  in  his 
records  of  personal  or  tribal  engagements  with  the  enemy. 

Illustrations  relating  to  this  peculiarity  on  the  coins  named,  together 
with  the  substitution  of  native  and  familiar  characters  and  symbols 
for  those  of  foreign  and  unknown  types,  will  be  presented  farther  on.1 

DECORATION  AND   ORNAMENTATION. 

The  importation  into  Alaska  and  the  adoption  by  the  natives  of  art 
designs  which  are  foreign  to  their  own  does  not  appear  at  all  impossible, 
and  the  subject  is  one  which  would  seem  to  oft'er  an  interesting  field  for 
investigation  with  a  reasonable  hope  of  interesting  developments. 

With  respect  to  the  probability  of  the  transmission  of  such  art  work, 
Mr.  Hadden,2  whom  I  have  before  quoted,  remarks : 

As  decorated  objects  must  be  conveyed  by  man,  the  means  for  their  dispersal  and 
the  barriers  which  militate  against  it  are  the  same  as  those  which  operate  on  human 
migrations;  but  there  is  one  difference.  Where  men  go  we  may  assume  that  they 
carry  their  artistic  efforts  and  proclivities  with  them,  but  decorated  objects  may  be 
carried  farther  than  the  actual  distance  covered  by  the  manufacturer,  or  even  than 
the  recognized  middleman  or  trader. 

This  brings  us  to  a  very  important  subject,  and  that  is  the  question  of  trade  routes. 
Trade  routes  are  culture  routes;  and  in  order  to  appreciate  the  history  of  culture,  it 
is  necessary  to  know  the  directions  in  which  it  flowed.  Until  we  have  a  more  com 
plete  knowledge  of  the  ancient  trade  routes  of  Europe,  we  can  not  recover  the  history 
of  the  prehistoric  Europe. 

This  subject  is  now  beginning  to  receive  great  attention  in  the  Old 
World,  and  some  highly  interesting  and  valuable  facts  have  been 
brought  to  light. 

In  North  America  the  study  of  prehistoric  trade  routes,  or  culture 
routes,  has  thus  far  received  but  a  limited  amount  of  careful  attention; 
but  some  instances  of  curious  results  of  intertribal  traffic  have  been 
observed.  Frequently  designs  of  a  specific  character,  such  as  may  be 
termed  peculiar  to  a  special  tribe,  are  carried  to  remote  localities  and 
there  adopted  by  other  tribes  of  an  entirely  different  linguistic  family, 
whereas  the  same  design  or  pattern  of  the  former  may  not  produce  the 
slightest  apparent  effect  upon  the  recognized  art  designs  or  ornamenta- 

'Special  attention  is  called  to  the  work  of  Doctor  John  Evans,  D.  C.  L.  The  Coins 
of  the  Ancient  Britons,  London:  1864-1890.  Plates  A-N.,  and  i-xxm,  together  with 
figures  in  text.  Map. 

2E  volution  in  Art,  p.  328. 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  801 

tion  of  an  adjoining  body  of  people  of  a  like  linguistic  family  and  with 
whom  there  may  be  frequent  social  intercourse.  This  is  accounted  for 
iu  the  instances  in  mind  because  of  the  absence  of  like  materials  and 
resources  quite  necessary  for  a  faithful  imitation  of  the  imported  pat 
tern,  the  original  being  fully  recognized  as  a  cult  symbol,  and  any 
alteration  however  slight  would  immediately  provoke  the  anger  of  the 
gods.  Therefore,  a  remote  body  of  people  whose  cult  beliefs  are  differ 
ent,  and  who  would  perhaps  not  recognize  the  sacred  or  mystic  import 
of  a  symbol,  might  readily  and  without  any  hesitation  adopt  such  pat 
tern  as  might  suit  one's  fancy  and  subsequently  alter  it  to  conform  to 
the  shape  of  the  material  upon  which  it  would  be  imposed  by  incision, 
impressed  in  color,  or  otherwise. 

The  northwest  coast  of  America,  between  Puget  Sound  and  Kadiak, 
is  an  excellent  illustration  of  a  culture  route,  and  the  arts  of  the  vari 
ous  Selish  tribes  are  traceable  over  a  wide  area.  The  peculiar  designs  of 
the  Haida,  both  in  sculpture  and  in  tattooing,  have  been  gradually  car 
ried  northward  into  the  territory  of  the  Tlilinkits,  the  Kadiak,  and  have 
been  even  recently  adopted,  to  a  limited  extent,  by  the  Aigalu'^amut 
and  Kiate'xanmt  Eskimo  of  southern  Alaska. 

The  original  patterns  of  the  Eskimo,  such  as  the  lines,  dots,  and 
herring-bone  patterns,  do  not  seem  to  prevail  against  the  rounded  and 
curved  figures  and  designs  of  the  Haida  art.  The  origin  of  the  latter 
is  peculiar,  and  the  alleged  development,  if  not  the  introduction  and 
adoption,  of  the  elaborate  system  of  tattooing  since  about  the  year  1833, 
certainly  offers  an  interesting  field  for  critical  research.1 

The  Haida  patterns,  as  has  been  intimated,  are  very  different  in  both 
design  and  concept  as  compared  with  the  artistic  work  of  the  Eskimo. 
Both  are  peculiar  to  the  regions  in  which  they  flourish,  and  no  resem 
blance  whatever  is  apparent.  The  Haida  designs  originate  chiefly  in 
toternic,  mythologic,  and  cult  forms,  which  have,  in  many  instances, 
become  so  highly  conventionalized  as  to  become  difficult  of  identifica 
tion.  The  Eskimo  art  embraces  chiefly  an  attempt  at  personal  and 
family  records  of  hunting  exploits,  with  occasional  ceremonials  por 
trayed  in  little  more  than  simple  pictorial  form,  but  there  is  present  an 
exhibition  of  the  progress  of  recording  both  gestures  and  signals,  to 
aid  in  the  explanation  of  the  record,  as  well  as  frequent  attempts  at 
the  record  of  subjective  ideas,  a  system  of  pictography  foreign  to  that 
of  the  Haida,  amLjuiore  nearly  approaching  the  petroglyphs  of  various 
tribes  belonging  to  the  Shoshonian  linguistic  family,  conspicuous  among 
which  are  some  of  the  pueblos  of  New  Mexico  and  Arizona;  and  the 
sculptiirings  found  in  Owens  Valley',  California,  the  authors  of  which 
are  unknown  but  are  believed  to  have  been  members  of  the  same  family, 
both  because  of  the  typical  resemblance  of  many  of  the  patterns  and 
the  geographic  location  of  the  sculptured  bowlders. 


JSee  remarks  on  "Aboriginal  Art  in  California  and  Queen  Charlotte's  Island/' 
W.  J.  Hoft'iuan,  in  Proceedings  Davenport  Academy  of  Sciences,  IV,  1885. 
NAT  MUS  95 61 


802  :  BEPO'RT   OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

Another  trade  route  of  importance  in  this  connection  is  that  afforded 
by  the  waters  of  the  Yukon  River.  Eskimo  patterns  have  been  car 
ried  up  into  the  country  of  the  Kenai  Indians,  a  tribe  usually  designated 
in  the  northwest  as  the  Tenanah,  and  of  the  same  linguistic  relation 
ship  as  the  Apache,  the  Navajo,  and  among  many  others  the  Hupa 
Indians  of  California.  These  designs  are  made  up  of  straight  lines, 
dots,  and  nucleated  circles,  and  occur  upon  strips  of  bone  with  perfora 
tions  at  one  end,  and  used,  it  is  presumed,  as  necklace  ornaments. 
Similar  ornaments  are  found  also  among  the  Thlinkit,  of  which  illus 
trations  are  given  on  plate  9. 

In  the  National  Museum  is  an  interesting  relic  made  of  horn,  used 
as  a  cylindrical  box  for  dentalium  shell  money,  upon  which  are  incised 
and  blackened  lines  so  arranged  between  two  parallel  longitudinal 
lines  that  the  original  white  surface  of  the  specimen  is  a  serrated  figure 
and  not  the  ordinary  zigzag,  plate  30.  Although  the  resemblance  of 
this  to  some  of  the  zigzag  and  meander  patterns  of  the  Eskimo  is  very 
striking,  no  connection  can  be  apparently  traced  between  the  two  peo 
ples,  even  along  the  supposed  course  of  migration  of  the  Ilupa  toward 
the  coast  at  the  time  of  the  separations  of  the  Apache  or  Athabascan 
tribes,  vivid  traditions  of  which  still  obtain  among  the  Apaches,  and 
linguistic  evidence  of  which  is  complete. 

A  well-known  trade  or  culture  route — in  fact,  one  of  the  earliest  to 
influence  the  crude  arts  of  the  Eskimo — was  by  way  of  the  Diomedo 
Islands,  when  the  natives  came  in  contact  with  the  Cossack  outposts  in 
eastern  Siberia.1 

The  traffic  which  naturally  resulted  brought  among  the  American 
natives  various  articles  of  liussian  manufacture,  among  which,  no 
doubt,  were  ikons  and  other  Christian  and  ecclesiastical  objects  and 
prints,  articles  which  are  usually  found  to  be  highly  decorated  in  both 
design  and  color.  Such  objects  would  most  naturally  tend  to  influence 
the  simple  art  of  a  people  who  were  naturally  given  to  the  ornamenta 
tion  of  various  utensils  and  weapons,  as  also  of  articles  of  clothing. 

Through  this  channel  were  obtained,  so  Mr.  Murdoch  informs  me, 
the  Siberian  pipes  and  seal  nets,  which,  together  with  the  native  labret, 
have  extended  eastward  of  Point  Barrow  to  Cape  Bathurst,  beyond 
which  locality, it  is  believed,  neither  are  found.  This  blank  area  between 
Cape  Bathurst  and  the  delta  of  the  Mackenzie  forms  a  barrier,  or  line 
of  demarcation,  beyond  which  the  several  bodies  of  Eskimo  are  artis 
tically  distinct  from  one  another.  In  other  words,  the  three  objects 
named  as  common  to  the  Alaskan  Eskimo  are  totally  absent  east  of  the 
locality  indicated,  as  found  by  Mr.  Murdoch  during  his  residence  at 
the  Point. 

Mr.  Haddon2  remarks  that  although  decorated  objects  pass  along 


1 "  There  is  good  reason  to  believe  that  the  Malayans,  the  Dutch  of  Asia,  crossed 
the  Pacific  Ocean  in  the  pursuit  of  commerce."  Dwight.  Travels  in  New  England 
and  New  York.  New  Haven,  1821.  I,  p.  129. 

-Evolution  in  Art,  p.  330. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  30. 


BONE  Box  FOR  SHELL  MONEY.    HUPA  INDIANS. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  803 

trade  routes  "and  are  distributed  far  and  wide,  it  does  not  always  nec 
essarily  follow  that  tlie  ornamentation  itself  is  naturalized.  It  is  pos 
sible  that  in  many  cases  a  certain  style  of  decoration  is  associated  with 
a  particular  kind  of  object,  and  it  might  not  occur  to  people  to  transfer 
that  decorative  style  to  other  objects,  or  at  all  events  the  process  would 
doubtless  be  slow." 

An  interesting  example  of  bone  dress  ornaments,  bearing  simple 
decorations  and  common  to  both  the  eastern  Eskimo  and  the  Nascopi, 
as  well  as  the  no\v  extinct  Beothuk  Indians  of  Newfoundland,  was 
brought  to  my  attention  by  Professor  O.  T.  Mason,  Curator  of  Ethnology 
in  the  National  Museum. 

The  specimens  are  reproduced  in  colored  and  plain  sketches,  and 
presented  to  the  National  Museum  by  Lady  Blake,  of  the  Government 
House,  St.  Johns,  Newfoundland. 

The  illustrations  represent  the  primitive  bone  ornaments  worn  about 
the  bottom  of  dresses  prior  to  the  use  of  metal  substitutes,  such  as  are 
now  attainable  from  the  whites.  These  ornaments  are  chiefly  of  a  class 
which  represent  an  inverted  narrow  letter  V — thus,  A — each  about  2 
or  2J  inches  in  length  and  decorated  with  various  angular  designs. 
Some  of  them  have  marginal  incised  lines,  within  which  and  attached 
thereto  are  the  base  of  triangular  or  serrated  markings  similar  to 
some  Eskimo  patterns,  shown  in  various  illustrations. 

Upon  the  ends  of  some  other  small  horn  ornaments  are  similar  rude 
zigzag  patterns,  as  shown  in  other  illustrations  of  Eskimo  workman 
ship. 

The  information  is  obtainable  as  to  the  conceptions  which  gave  rise 
to  the  art  patterns  of  the  Beothuk.  The  simple  zigzag  may  have 
resulted  from  an  incised  imitation  of  some  notched  ornaments  made  by 
Nascopi,  ornaments  such  as  the  Beothuk  were  undoubtedly  familiar 
with,  as  both  varieties  are  shown  upon  the  same  plates  of  illustrations 
made  by  Lady  Blake.  By  laying  the  Nascopi  ornament  upon  the  slab 
of  horn  used  by  the  Beothuk,  the  incised  serrations  forming  the  border 
almost  exactly  fit  to  the  zigzag  or  serrated  ornamentation  forming  a 
border  near  the  edge  of  the  piece  used  by  the  latter. 

Several  patterns  occur  in  Eskimo  decorations,  however,  which,  while 
not  exactly  resembling  patterns  from  other  parts  of  the  world,  appear 
to  have  originated  with  them,  and  were  suggested  to  them  by  original 
products  or  mechanical  contrivances,  as  the  Siberian  kautag  or  wooden 
buckets,  in  nests  of  several  sizes,  and  the  peculiar  fish  trap  or  run 
placed  in  narrow  channels  of  water,  and  perhaps  the  guides  to  the  pit 
fall.  To  the  latter  class  of  ornamentation  may  be  placed  the  "  seal- 
tooth"  pattern.  These  two  different  types  of  objects  may  have 
suggested  the  motive  for  the  figure  of  concentric  circles  and  the  rude 
zigzag,  respectively ;  or  the  introduction  from  without  the  territory  of 
the  Eskimo  of  these  designs — the  former,  for  instance,  through  the  influ 
ence  of  the  Russians,  and  the  other,  perhaps,  from  the  vicinity  of 


804  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

Torres  Straits  and  adjacent  territory — may  have  been  seized  upon  as 
suggesting  the  outlines  or  concepts  perceived  in  the  native  products, 
the  possible  difference  in  artistic  results  being  dependent  upon  the 
difference  in  material  upon  which  the  designs  are  portrayed  and  to  the 
expertness  or  lack  of  skill  of  the  Eskimo  copyist  or  artist. 

Upon  a  careful  examination  of  all  available  materials  bearing  pic 
torial  records  or  only  simple  decorative  designs,  several  interesting- 
facts  appear. 

First.  That  the  Eskimo  east  of  Point  Barrow,  including  those  even 
of  Labrador  and  Greenland,  exhibit  but  little  artistic  expression,  this 
being  confined  chiefly  to  lines,  dots,  and  other  similar  rudimentary 
markings  which  are  employed  almost  wholly  for  decorative  purposes. 
This  does  not  refer  to  various  kinds  of  carvings  and  outlined  flat  fig 
ures  in  bone  or  ivory,  which  are  intended  to  be  stitched  to  clothing,  a 
custom  very  much  resembling  a  like  practice  which  obtains  in  Finland. 
Neither  does  this  refer  to  the  custom  of  stamping  designs  upon  cloth 
or  buckskin,  a  practice  apparently  learned  from  the  several  Algonkian 
tribes  with  which  some  of  the  Hudson  Bay  and  Labrador  tribes  of 
Eskimo  come  in  contact. 

Second.  That  the  Point  Barrow  natives  are  apparently  but  moder 
ately  advanced  in  the  art  of  recording  tribal  or  individual  events,  cus 
toms,  etc.,  and  that  most  of  their  ivory  utensils  are  not  decorated;  but 
that  where  attempts  at  beautifying  are  apparent,  only  those  designs 
are  adopted  which  suggest  or  require  the  least  amount  of  manual  exer 
tion  and  artistic  ability,  so  that  straight  incisions,  creases,  or  grooves 
are  most  numerous,  while  nucleated  circles,  and  rarely  also  a  few  con 
centric  rings,  are  incised,  the  latter  apparently  by  means  of  the  common 
carpenter's  auger  bit,  properly  filed  at  the  cutting  edge  so  as  to  pro 
duce  a  scratch  instead  of  an  incision,  the  latter  being  too  delicate  and 
tedious  a  process  for  success  in  removing  the  dense  resisting  particles 
of  ivory. 

Third.  That  the  engravings  on  ivory  and  bone  from  the  northern 
portion  of  the  west  coast  of  Alaska,  embracing  the  region  about  Kotze- 
bue  Sound  and  northward,  and  including  Diomede  Islands  and  the 
opposing  coast,  as  well  as  the  area  occupied  by  the  Asiatic  Eskimo,  are 
more  deeply  and  crudely  cut,  as  indicated  by  the  lines  being  broader 
and  bolder  than  in  the  products  from  any  other  area. 

Fourth.  That  the  general  results  in  graphic  portrayals  are  more  artis 
tic  among  the  natives  of  Bristol  Bay  and  Norton  Sound,  and  improve 
in  delicacy  of  engraving  toward  the  southward  even  to  and  including 
the  Aleutian  Islands;  that  the  portrayal  of  animal  forms  is  accom 
plished  with  such  fidelity  as  to  permit  of  specific  identification;  that 
the  attempt  at  reproducing  graphically  common  gesture  signs  becomes 
more  frequent,  and  various  instances  of  the  successful  portrayal  of 
subjective  ideas  also  occur. 

In  his  reference  to  the  Agulmuts,  whose  location  extends  from  near 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895.-Hoffman. 


PLATE  31. 


HANDLES  BEARING  PRIMARY  FORMS  OF  DECORATIONS. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    31. 


1       2 


Fig.  1.  BAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  Xo.  38752,  U.  S.  X.  M.) 

Fig.  2.  BAG  HANDLE.     FISH-TRAP  QR  SEAL-TOOTH  PATTERN. 

(Cat,  Xo.  24412,  F.  S.  X.  M.     Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  L.  M.  Turner.) 

Fig.  3.  BAG  HANDLE.     PINE-TRKE  PATTERN. 

(Cat.  Xo.  24417,  U.  S.  X.  M.     Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  L.  M.  Turner.) 

Fig.  4.  BAG  HANDLE.    VARIANT  OF  FIG.  2. 

(Cat,  Xo.  38776,  U.  S.  X.  M.     Xortli  of  Xorton  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Xelson.) 
Fig.  5.  BODKIN.     PARALLEL  Rows  OF  SEAL-TOOTH  PATTERN, 
(Cat,  Xo.  [ !].     Xorton  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Xelson.) 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,   1895. —  Hoffmaa 


PLATE  32. 


EXPLANATION  OF  PLATE  32. 

1      2      3 

I 
4      5      I) 

7 


Fig.  1.  IVORY  EAR  PENDANTS;  MADE  OF  BELUGA  TEETH. 

(Cat.  No.  33491,  U.  S.  N.  M.     St.  Michaels.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  2.  BUCKLE;  GIRLS'  HAIR  ORNAMENT. 

(Cat.  No.  37007,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Agaiyukchugumnt.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

F      3.  EAR  PENDANTS;  REPRESENTING  SEAL  HEADS. 

(Cat.  No.  38052,  U.  8.  N.  M.     Spngtiuuguumt.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 
Fig.  4.  COMB. 

(Cat.  No.  48174,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Cape  Prince  of  Wales.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  5.  UTEXSIL  OF  IVORY.     THLINGIT  INDIANS  (?). 

Fig.  6.  IVORY  ORNAMENT  CARVED  TO  REPRESENT  FACE  OF  A  SEAL. 

(Cat.  No.  37763,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Kongiqimognmut.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 
Fig.  7.  CARVED  HANDLE,  SHOWING  HUMAN  FACES  WITH  TATTOOING. 
(Cat.  No.  37319,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Cualituiut.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895, — Hoffman. 


PLATE  33. 


:  WOODEN  TABLET.    PAPUAN  ORNAMENTATION. 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  805 

Cape  Avinoif  nearly  to  Cape  Komanzoff,  Mr.  Ball1  remarks  that  they 
have  been  reported  as  remarkable  for  the  beauty  of  their  workman 
ship  in  ivory.  "A  kantag  or  wooden  dish,"  he  continues,  "which  was 
obtained  at  Nunivak  by  Captain  Smith,  was  neatly  carved  and  inlaid 
with  lozenges  of  white  stone  resembling  gypsum.  They  were  labrets 
of  the  same  material.  Their  food  was  principally  fish  and  seal,  and 
they  appeared  to  be  very  destitute  of  iron  and  other  articles  intro 
duced  by  traders.  Their  ivory  weapons  were  of  great  beauty,  and 
some  specimens  of  hollow  carving  would  tax  the  resources  of  the  most 
skillful  civilized  workman  to  equal." 

In  addition  to  the  above  named  facts  there  occur  other  peculiar  pat 
terns,  two  of  which  are  of  interest;  they  are  respectively  the  figures  of 
concentric  circles,  and  a  Papuan-like  zigzag  design,  to  which  reference 
has  already  been  made.  The  former  is  frequently  a  nucleated  circle, 
frequently  regularly  incised  series  of  circles  one  beyond  the  other,  and 
occasional  instances  in  which  delicate  radiating  lines  are  attached  to 
the  Outer  ring. 

The  other  pattern  is  like,  and  yet  unlike,  that  found  in  Papuan 
decorations,  in  which  is  a  rude  wavy  or  meander  zigzag,  or  even  more 
sharply  defined  iuterdigital  lines,  or  perhaps  even  triangular  projec 
tions  so  as  to  form  true  serrations,  resulting  in  what  is  sometimes 
termed  a  tooth  pattern. 

This  particular  form  of  Papuan  art  is  usually  drawn  between  or 
within  parallel  lines,  and  extends  transversely  across  the  specimen 
decorated.  The  Eskimo  resemblances,  if  they  may  be  so  termed,  are 
represented  on  plate  31,  figs.  2,  4,  and  5. 

Plate  32,  fig.  4,  represents  an  Eskimo  comb,  the  curves  upon  which 
form  an  interesting  example  for  comparison  with  the  Papuan  designs 
upon  a  tablet  of  wood,  referred  to  and  illustrated  by  Mr.  Stolpe,  of 
Stockholm.2  Plate  33. 

Similar  parallel  lines  carrying  between  them  the  same  style  of  a 
rude  zigzag,  but  in  relief,  because  the  alternate  triangular  spaces  have 
been  removed  by  cutting,  occur  upon  various  other  specimens  repre 
sented  in  various  plates  and  illustrations. 

The  short  transverse  bars  in  this  type  of  pattern  represent  in 
some  instances,  according  to  an  Alaskan  informant  and  pictographer, 
Vladimir  Kaomoff,  conventionalized  fish  traps,  such  as  are  placed  in 
narrow  channels  of  water  for  catching  the  migrating  salmon.  A  sym 
metrical  trap  of  such  construction  is  shown  on  the  faces  of  a  pipe  in 
plate  GO.  The  transverse  lines  or  bars  are  complete  in  this  illustra 
tion,  however,  yet  the  decorative  or  evolved  figure  is  easily  traceable 
to  the  original.  A  simpler  form  of  the  same  pattern  appears  in  the 
decoration  on  fig.  4  in  plate  31,  where  the  alternate  short  lines  project 
inward  toward  the  opposing  space  between  the  short  lines. 


'-'Alaska  and  its  Resources,"  Boston,  1870,  p.  406. 

2  Stolpe,  Utveklingsforeteelser  i  nuturfolkens  ornainentik,    Yiuer,  Stockholm,  1890, 
4°,  pp.  193-225;  1891,  pp.  197-229,  figs. 


806  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

The  native  drawings  of  the  so-called  fish  trap  or  seal  tooth  pattern 
also  resemble  the  approaches  to  the  game  trap  or  inclosure,  both 
these  contrivances  being  represented  by  horizontal  or  oblique  or  per 
haps  even  only  parallel  lines,  leading  to  a  trap  or  inclosure,  along 
which  lines  are  short  etchings  or  bars  to  denote  the  posts  or  divisions 
to  sustain  the  brush  of  the  game  drive  or  the  wickerwork  partitions  of 
the  fish  trap.  These  short  lateral  lines  simulate  the  drawings  made  to 
denote  the  separations  or  spaces  between  teeth  like  those  of  the  seal, 
of  which  examples  are  given  in  fig.  00,  and,  as  was  suggested  by  a 
native  Eskimo,  the  open  mouth  of  the  hunting  seal  was  like  the  open 
fish  trap  and  game  drive,  ready  to  take  in  such  prey  as  came  within 
reach.  The  conception  of  the  design  may  be  found  in  the  trap,  as 
suggested  by  jSTaomoff,  or  in  the  "  seal's  mouth,77  as  suggested  by 
Nomiksener,  a  Kaviagmut  Eskimo  from  Port  Clarence,  whose  por 
trait  is  shown  in  plate  2. 

These  drawings  in  ivory  are  usually  placed  between  horizontal  or 
parallel  lines,  interesting  because  they  resemble  the  chief  character 
istics  of  Celtic  art,  of  which  there  is  no  relationship  directly  except 
as  showing  the  like  workings  of  man's  mind  under  like  conditions. 
"The  Japanese,  for  instance,'7  says  a  writer  in  Archreologia  Cambreusis,1 
"ignore  the  margin  altogether  and  make  their  decoration  entirely 
independent  of  it,  but  in  Celtic  art  the  patterns  are  all  designed  to 
suit  the  shape  of  the  margin.77  This  is  true  of  much  of  the  Alaskan  art. 

The  early  contact  by  the  Alaskans  with  art  products  from  the  South 
Pacific  is  believed  to  be  pretty  generally  recognized;  and  an  instance 
of  the  discovery  among  the  natives  of  Bristol  Bay  of  the  cocoanut 
suggested  an  admirable  material  for  engraving  which  was  only  sur 
passed  in  beauty  and  texture  by  walrus  ivory.  Various  curios  have 
also  been  carried  north  by  sailors,  the  carvings  upon  which  have  sug 
gested,  no  doubt,  possibilities  in  engraving  of  which  the  Eskimo  had 
previously  had  no  conception.  Illustrated  newspapers  are  seized  with 
avidity,  and  reproductions  of  various  cuts  attempted,  in  some  known 
instances  the  features  of  faces  being  fairly  truthful  likenesses. 

Much  of  the  art  of  the  Eskimo  has  been  influenced,  too,  by  the  intro 
duction  of  articles  of  Russian  manufacture,  of  which  more  is  remarked 
elsewhere.  Two  fairly  good  examples  of  native  workmanship  of  this 
are  given  on  plate  34,  figs.  1  and  2,  and  representing  wooden  boxes 
with  native  ornamentation  and  Russian  symbols  of  the  cross  and  other 
motifs. 

The  suggestion  for  engraving  concentric  circles  being  accounted  for 
as  to  origin  and  signification  by  Mr.  L.  M.  Turner,  and  described  farther 
on,  may  also  have  been  introduced  through  the  medium  of  sailors  and 
others  from  the  Gulf  of  Papua,  where,  according  to  Mr.  1 1  addon,  they 
are  conventionalized  eyes  in  the  ornamental  faces  carved  on  wooden 
belts. 


January,  1893.     Fifth  ser.,  pp.  20,  21. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    34, 


Fig.  1.  WOODEN  Box. 

(Cat.  No.  44457,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Cape  Nome.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  ±  WOODEN  Box. 

(Cat.  No.  33077,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Cape  Nome.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 
Fig.  3.  Box  ion  FISHING  TACKLE. 

(Cat.  No.  24352,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  L.  M.  Turner.) 


Report  of  U.S.  National  Museum,   1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  34. 


WOODEN  BOXES,  AND  CASE  FOR  FISHING  TACKLE. 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  807 

In  Alaska,  however,  concentric  circles  and  nucleated  rings  have  been 
utilized  to  explain  concepts  other  than  the  similar  patterns  which  occur 
elsewhere  in  the  world,  referring  to  other  widely  distinct  origins  and 
concepts.  (Compare  with  variants  on  plate  17.) 

The  concentric  rings,  being  so  generally  widespread,  survive  in  the 
Kongo  region  and  in  Tangier,  where  the  design  may  owe  its  origin  to 
the  introduction  of  Mohammedanism  and  the  Byzantine  style  of  orna-  , 
mentation;  upon  Roman  lamps  in  the  ruined  church  of  St.  Louis,  in 
Carthage;  and  in  numerous  localities  throughout  northern  Europe  as 
rock  sculpturing^,  arid  in  bronze  and  other  jewelry  and  ornaments. 
America  has  many  petroglyphs  in  which  this  design  is  found,  the 
greatest  number  being  upon  the  basalt  rocks  in  the  arid  desert  south 
of  Ben  ton,  Owens  Valley,  California. 

By  these  references  to  the  occurrence  in  widely  separated  localities 
of  like  designs,  I  do  not  for  a  single  moment  desire  to  convey  the 
impression  that  the  belief  is  entertained  that  this  is  the  result  of 
migration  through  the  ordinary  trade,  or  culture  channels,  as  Mr. 
Haddon  designates  them,  but  rather  of  independent  development, 
being  evolved  from  very  diverse  originals  and  concepts.  It  is  certain, 
nevertheless,  that  in  some  instances  religious  symbols  are  carried 
among  peoples  to  whom  they  are  artistically  or  technically  foreign,  and 
to  whom  the  signification  would  be  meaningless  but  for  the  explanation 
accompanying  them. 

In  Alaska  several  different  versions  are  given  to  account  for  the 
origin  of  the  nucleated  circles,  plain  concentric  rings,  and  rings  with 
dentations.  Reference  to  like  forms  in  other  regions  is  made  elsewhere. 

Mr.  Haddon1  remarks  with  reference  to  such  figures  that  "  there  is  a  j 
great  tendency  for  spirals  to  degenerate  into  concentric  circles  j  exam 
ples  could  be  given  from  New  Guinea,  America,  Europe,  and  elsewhere. 
In  fact,  one  usually  finds  the  two  figures  associated  together,  and  the 
sequence  is  one  of  decadence,  never  the  evolution  of  spirals  from  cir 
cles.  The  intermediate  stage  has  been  aptly  termed  a  'bastard  spiral' 
by  Doctor  Montelius— 'that  is  to  say,  concentric  circles  to  which  the 
recurved  junction  lines  give,  to  a  casual  glance,  the  appearance  of  true 
spirals.' " 

Interesting  instances  in  support  of  Mr.  Haddon's  statement  are  found 
in  the  development  of  decorative  designs  among  various  tribes  of 
Indians,  in  which  the  textile  designs  were  ultimately  imitated  in  a 
free  hand  style,  thus  gradually  converting  the  angular  into  curved 
figures,  as  in  the  meander  patterns  so  common  in  the  basketry  and 
pottery  designs  of  the  several  pueblo  tribes. 

In  northern  Europe  and  elsewhere  in  the  Old  World  coils  of  withes, 
cords,  and  other  textile  strands  were  imitated  in  metal,  as  may  be  seen 
in  many  of  the  prehistoric  relics  of  Scandinavia  and  France. 

Associated  with  these  patterns  are  series  of  figures  consisting  of 


1  "Evolution  in  Art/' p.  93. 


808  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

concentric  rings,  which   no   doubt   owe  their   origin   to  the  vegetal 
prototype. 

Thus  far  no  spirals  have  been  observed  in  the  native  art  designs  of 
the  Eskimo  as  illustrated  in  the  National  Museum,  and  one  reason  for 
the  absence  of  spirals  may  be  attributed  to  the  difficulty  of  engrav 
ing  the  ivory  satisfactorily,  or  perhaps  to  the  absence  of  particular  life 
forms  which  might  under  other  circumstances  suggest  such  motifs. 
The  general  shape  of  the  spaces  upon  drill  bows,  being  long  and 
narrow,  would  otherwise  naturally  suggest  either  a  meander  or  a 
continuous  series  of  squids  as  a  most  appropriate  and  convenient 
pattern.  Instead  of  these,  however,  the  ornamental  "filling-ill" 
consists  of  straight  lines  of  various  lengths  and  at-  various  angles, 
together  with  animal  or  bird  forms  in  various  stages  of  abbreviation 
through  conventionalization. 

DECORATION    CONSISTING    CIIIKFLY   OF   LINES,  DOTS,  AND    ZIGZAGS. 

The  older  forms  of  ornamentation,  as  already  indicated,  seem  to 
consist  of  straight  lines,  dots,  and  <-shaped  incisions,  while  the  appar 
ently  later  ones  are  the  circles,  made  by  metal  instruments  possibly  of 
native  workmanship,  and  the  rude  zigzag  or  meander.  The  applica 
tion  of  these  several  types  of  designs  to  the  ornamentation  of  various 
articles  of  use  is  represented  in  the  next  few  pages.  Some  interesting 
examples  of  figure  carving,  bearing  engravings  of  various  types,  arc- 
also  reproduced. 

While  the  rude  zigzag  pattern  is  frequently  alluded  to  as  the  "fish 
trap"  pattern — the  name  being  deemed  appropriate  because  the  type 
originated  in  that  contrivance,  according  to  Naomoff — the  designation 
"seal  tooth"  pattern  might  be  equally  appropriate,  as  the  arrangement 
of  the  teeth  and  spaces  between  them  may  have  suggested  the  pattern 
among  tribes  in  other  parts  of  the  Eskimo  territory. 

Plate  35,  fig.  8,  shows  a  woman's  skin  scraper,  from  Cape  Darby. 
The  specimen  appears  to  be  made  of  fossil  ivory  and  is  carved  in  imi 
tation  of  a  whale's  tail,  and  rounded  so  as  to  fit  the  palm  of  the  hand. 
The  front  end  has  a  deep  incision,  in  which  was  placed  at  one  time  a 
flint  scraper,  in  imitation  of  other  examples  in  the  collection  of  the 
National  Museum.  The  specimen  bears  beneath  a  depression,  show 
ing  it  to  have  been  used  for  holding  the  top  of  a  drill.  The  ornamen 
tation  on  both  sides  and  transversely  at  the  rear  portion  consists  of  a 
single  line  to  which  are  attached  irregular  short  radiating  or  transverse 
lines  in  imitation  of  the  rudest  type  of  the  "fish  trap"  pattern.  This 
ornamentation  is  in  accordance  with  the  typical  ornamentation  of  the 
Eskimo,  such  as  comes  from  the  shell  heaps  of  the  Aleutian  Islands, 
across  to  the  east  coast  of  Greenland,  and  antedating  very  likely  the 
historic  period. 

In  plate  31,  fig.  5,  is  shown  an  ivory  bodkin,  here  reproduced  as  of 
interest  in  presenting  upon  the  one  side  five  parallel  lines  of  unequal 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    35. 


1  2  3 
456 
789 


Fig.  1.  THIMBLE  GUARD. 

(Cat.  Tto.  43459,  U.  S.  N.  M.     St.  Michaels.     Collected  by  E.  AY.  Nelson.) 
Fig.  2.  THIMBLE  HOLDER. 

(Cat.  No.  29731,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  L.  M.  Turner.) 

Fig.  3.  THIMBLE  HOLDER. 

(Cat.  No.  129314,  U.  S.  N.  M.     St.  Michaels.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  4.  SEINE  THIMBLE  HOLDER. 

(Cat.  36452,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Kushumik.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 
Fig.  5.  MOUTHPIECE. 

(Cat.  No.  63667,  IT.  S.  N.  M.     IMomede  Islands.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  6.  THIMBLE  GUARD. 

(Cat,  No.  43861,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Tnaliklut.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  7.  MOUTHPIECE. 

(Cat.  No.  63666,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Diomede  Islands.     Collected  by  E.  AY.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  8.  HANDLE  OF  SCRAPER. 

(Cat.  No.  44180,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Cape  Darby.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  9.  TOBACCO  Box. 

(Cat.  No.  44766,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Sledge  Island.     Collected  by  E.  \V.  Nelson.) 


Report  of   U.  S.  National  Museum,  1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  35. 


DECORATED  UTENSILS  USED  BY  WOMEN. 


Report  of  U    S    National    Museum,  1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  36. 


ORNAMENTED  KANTAG  HANDLES. 


EXPLANATION     OF    PLATE    36. 


Fig.  1.  KANTAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat,  No.  43809,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Isbaktolik.     Collected  by  E.  AV.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  2.  KANTAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat,  No.  44276,  TJ.  S.  N.  M.     Cape  Darby.     Collected  by  E.  "W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  3.  KANTAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  No.  2-1730,  TJ.  S.  N.  M.     St.  Michaels.     Collected  by  L.  M.  Turner.) 

Fig.  4.  KANTAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  No.  45155,  TJ.  S.  N.  M.     Sledge  Island.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  809 

length,  between  which  are  the  short  lateral  lines  and  zigzag,  showing 
the  method  of  engraving  and  the  artistic  evolution  of  the  pattern. 

Plate  3(>,  figs.  1-4,  represent  kautag  handles.  The  specimen  shown 
in  fig.  1  is  from  Sledge  Island,  and  is  ornamented  by  two  parallel  longi 
tudinal  lines  between  which  are  cross  lines  by  threes  at  intervals  of 
about  an  inch.  In  fig.  2  the  sets  of  cross  lines  are  by  twos,  but  on  the 
inner  side,  facing  one  another,  are  short  lines,  as  in  the  ornamental 
pattern  before  referred  to  as  the  fish  trap  or  seal  tooth,  giving  rise 
ultimately  to  the  zigzag.  In  fig.  3  is  represented  a  handle,  upon  the 
upper  side  of  which  the  ornamentation  consists  of  ten  whales  in  relief, 
while  upon  the  under  side  is  a  very  neatly  engraved  mammal  of  the 
same  species,  though  extending  horizontally  instead  of  transversely. 

In  fig.  4  the  upper  side  represents  two  horizontal  lines  with  the  short 
lines  extending  inward  between  their  opposing  fellows,  a  sort  of  inter- 
digitation,  the  interior  spaces  representing  a  rude  zigzag  with  the  outer 
angles  being  removed~instead  of  being  shaped  to  a  point,  as  in  the  true 
zigzag. 

In  the  next  illustration  of  a  bag  handle,  plate  31,  fig.  4,  are  three 
parallel  lines  extending  from  end  to  end.  From  the  outer  lines  inward 
are  short  lines  at  intervals  of  perhaps  J  of  an  inch,  while  extending  to 
either  side  from  the  central  line  are  similar  short  lines  extending  out 
ward  so  as  to  project  between  the  short  lines  from  without — a  sort  of 
interdigitation,  resulting  in  a  double  row  of  the  u fish  trap"  pattern  or 
rude  zigzag  presented  in  so  many  of  the  illustrations. 

Fig.  2  of  the  same  plate  also  bears  a  series  of  like  ornamentation,  the 
concept  perhaps  also  being  found  in  the  fish  trap. 

Plate  37,  fig.  3,  represents  a  bow,  one  end  of  which  terminates  in  an 
animal's  head,  while  about  the  neck,  the  middle,  and  the  rear  end  are 
parallel  lines,  from  the  inner  side  of  which  and  approaching  the  oppo 
site  side  are  small  triangular  points  so  arranged  alternately  from  one 
side  to  the  other  as  to  leave  an  intervening  space  in  the  form  of  zigzag. 
This  design  is  very  common  on  work  from  several  particular  localities. 
It  is  used  as  an  ornament  in  tilling  out  blank  spaces,  as  in  the  illustra 
tion  (fig.  C  on  the  same  plate,  37),  where  it  serves  to  decorate  seals' 
skins,  seventeen  of  them  being  placed  in  a  row.  This  may  be  compared 
with  like  illustrations  in  connection  with  conventionalizing. 

Plate  31,  fig.  1,  represents  a  bag  handle,  locality  unknown,  upon 
which  is  shown  a  pattern  consisting  primarily  of  a  central  incision 
extending  from  end  to  end,  from  which  radiate  toward  either  side  sev 
eral  series  of  diagonal  lines,  which  appear  to  be  similar  in  type  to  that 
shown  in  plate  38,  fig  1,  and  on  plate  39,  fig,  2. 

On  plate  34,  fig.  1,  is  a  small  wooden  box  obtained  at  Cape  Nome. 
It  has  a  sliding  lid,  while  the  two  lower  projections,  resembling  feet, 
are  in  reality  the  outlines  of  bears'  heads.  As  will  be  noted,  there  are 
several  outlines  of  flintlock  guns  shown  upon  the  lid,  besides  other 
characters,  while  along  the  margin  are  short  diagonal  lines  arranged 


810  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

in  the  form  of  zigzags.  A  few  Russian  letters  are  incised  upon  the 
sides,  indicating  the  natives'  knowledge  of,  or  acquaintance  with,  char 
acters  of  that  language. 

In  plate  34,  fig.  2,  is  represented  a  box  of  almost  the  same  form  and 
from  the  same  locality,  the  bottom  being  represented  in  the  illustra 
tion,  and  upon  it  a  variety  of  ornamentation  very  much  in  imitation  of 
the  patterns  before  mentioned  and  found  on  many  of  the  specimens. 
Upon  closer  investigation,  however,  it  will  be  observed  that  the  mar 
ginal  lines  bear  between  them  small  arrowheads  or  < -shaped  figures, 
while  in  the  remaining  spaces  the  ornamentation  consists  of  parallel 
lines,  the  intervening  spaces  being  ornamented  by  short  diagonal  lines. 
The  two  lozenges  in  the  middle  bear  upon  the  center  a  cross,  evidently 
suggested  by  Eussian  ecclesiastical  pictures  or  literature. 

Plate  37,  fig.  1,  is  a  plain  white  ivory  bow  drill  from  Point  Hope. 
The  ornamentation  is  visible  in  the  illustration  and  consists  simply  of 
the  wavy  exterior  produced  by  filing  a  series  of  indentations  along  the 
edge  of  the  triangular  bow. 

Plate  37,  fig.  5,  also  from  Point  Barrow,  shows  two  parallel  lines 
extending  from  almost  one  end  to  the  other,  between  which  are  diag 
onal  lines  at  short  intervals.  The  bottom  edge  of  the  bow  is  indented 
at  intervals  of  a  little  over  an  inch,  leaving  projections  upon  which 
small  triangular  figures  extend  from  the  bottom,  presenting  an  orna 
mental  effect.  The  coloring  matter  apparently  consists  of  red  ocher. 

Plate  38,  figs.  1, 2,  3,  and  4,  represent  bag  handles  from  Norton  Sound, 
St.  Michaels,  the  Yucon  Eiver,  and  Point  Hope,  respectively. 

In  plate  39,  fig.  1,  the  ornamentation  upon  the  upper  side  consists  of  a 
median  horizontal  line  or  crease  terminating  at  one  end  with  three  per 
forations,  which  number  occurs  also  at  the  other  end  of  the  rod.  At 
right  angles  to  this  median  line,  at  either  end,  are  eight  nucleated  rings. 
At  the  center  of  the  specimen  are  a  like  number,  in  the  middle  of  which 
group  is  inserted  a  large  blue  glass  bead.  Upon  the  upper  side,  instead 
of  a  median  line,  the  surface  is  filled  with  a  continuous  row  of  nucleated 
circles.  Upon  examination,  however,  it  is  observed  that  the  circles 
consist  of  two  or  three  different  sizes,  showing  that  instruments  of 
that  number  of  sizes  were  used.  The  rings  indicate,  furthermore,  that 
the  tool  was  of  hard  metal,  but  no  doubt  fashioned  by  the  artist,  a 
narrow  piece  of  steel  having  a  crotch  filed  into  the  end  so  as  to  leave 
two  sharp  points. 

Plate  39,  fig.  3,  represents  a  very  neat  bag  handle  or  bow  drill  nearly 
18  inches  in  length.  The  top  is  fluted  longitudinally  by  means  of  three 
deep  creases,  while  in  the  outer  sides  are  a  series  of  cavities  or  scal 
lops,  also  ornamented  along  the  margin  by  incisions.  This  specimen  is 
interesting  because  of  the  great  number  of  nucleated  circles  scattered 
along  the  under  side.  Each  of  these  circles  seems  to  have  been  made 
with  the  same  instrument,  which  was  apparently  a  carpenter's  bit, 
one-fourth  of  an  inch  in  diameter. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    37 


Fig.  1.  DRILL  How. 

(Cat.  1ST.  G3804,  U.  S.  N.M.     Point  Hope.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson. 

Fig.  2.  DRILL  Bow. 

(Cat.  No.  45346,  IT.  S.  N.  M.     Cape  Nome.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  3.  DRILL  Bow. 

(Cat,  No.  33191,  IT.  S.  N.  M.     Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 
Fig.  4.  DRILL  Bow. 

(Cat.  No.  89510,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Point  Barrow.     Collected  by  Lieut.  P.  H.  Ray.  IT.  S.  A.) 

Fig.  5.  DRILL  Bow. 

(Cat.  No.  56518,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Point  Barrow.     Collected  by  Lieut.  P.  H.  Ray,  U.  S.  A.) 
Fig.  6.  DRILL  Bow.    This  specimen  is  24f  inches  long. 

(Cat.  No.  24540,  U.  S.  N.  M.     St.  Michaels.     Collected  by  L.  M.  Tiirner.) 


Report  of  U    S.  National  Museum,  1  895 —Hoffman. 


PLATE  37. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    38. 


Fig.  1.  KANTAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  No.  24415,  U.  S.  N.  M.    Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  L.  M.  Turner  ) 

Fig.  2.  KANTAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  No.  24425,  U.  S.  N.M.     St.  Michaels.     Collected  by  L.M.  Turner.) 

Fig.  3.  KANTAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  No.  38539,  TJ.  s.  x.  M.     Yukon  River.) 

Fig.  4.  KANTAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  No.  63809,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Point  Hope.    Collected  by  £.  \V.  Nelson.) 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895.  — Hoffma 


PLATE  38. 


ORNAMENTED  KANTAG  HANDLES. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    39. 


1 


3      4 


Fig.  1.  BAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  XTo.  89511,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Point  Barrow.     Collected  by  Lieut.  P.  H.  Ray,  U.  S.  A.) 

Fig.  2.  BAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  Xo.  24549,  U.  S.  N.  M.  Xorton  Sound.    Collected  by  L.  M.  Turne  ? ) 
Fig.  3.  BAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat,  Xo.  89423.  I'.  S.  X.  M.  Point  Barrow.    Collected  by  Lieut,  P.  H.  Ray,  U.  S.  A., 

Fig.  4.  BAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat,  Xo.  89512,  U.  S.  X.  M.     Point  Barrow.     Collected  by  Lieut.  P.  H.  Ray,  U.-S.  A.) 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,   1895. Hoffman. 


PLATE  39, 


BAG  HANDLES. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895.— Hoffman. 


1  2 


am- 


3  4567891 


1  45 


RECORDS  F 


V 


PLATE  40. 


_ 


12 


13 


14  14 


10  11  12 


11 


12  13  14 


15 


16  17    18 


10 


IT "r 


\  BAG  HANDLES. 


GRAPHIC    ART   OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  811 

Plate  39,  tig.  4,  represents  a  bag  handle  marked  with  a  single  median 
line  from  which  the  specimen  slopes  toward  either  side  of  the  outer 
edge,  and  it  is  also  fashioned  along  the  outer  margin  like  the  preceding 
one,  though  the  curves  or  scallops  are  longer.  Between  each  curve  is 
a  small  V-shaped  niche,  while  at  the  middle  this  is  replaced  by  a  short 
scallop  or  curve. 

The  specimen  represented  in  plate  39,  fig.  2,  is  decorated  upon  the 
upper  side  by  a  median  horizontal  line,  deeply  engraved,  to  which  are 
attached,  by  pairs,  short  diagonal  lines  exactly  resembling  the  herring 
bone  pattern,  each  pair  of  these  patterns  being  about  one-half  an  inch 
from  the  succeeding  pair.  Upon  the  lower  or  concave  side  is  a  similar 
median  line,  to  one  side  1  -»vhich  are  placed  the  figures  of  thirty-seven 
geese,  or  skuas,  swimming  toward  the  right.  The  figures  are  as  nearly 
alike  as  can  be  made  by  the  average  native  artist,  and  are  equidistant 
from  one  another. 

The  regularity  of  the  arrangement  of  these  bird  figures  suggests  that 
ornamentation  was  aimed  at  as  well  as  a  historic  record. 


Fi£.34. 

NATIVES  ARMED  WITH  GUNS. 

Fig.  34  represents  but  two  of  the  five  panels  or  spaces  decorated, 
both  of  which  bear  figures  referring  to  canoes  in  which  the  men  at  the 
rear  are  armed  with  oars,  while  those  at  the  bow  have  guns  raised  as  if 
about  to  shoot.  The  partitions  consist  of  transverse  ornamental  lines, 
an  improvement  over  the  pairs  or  sets  of  vertical  plain  incisions  shown 
on  the  paneled  record  in  plate  36,  fig.  i>. 

The  serrated  inner  edges  of  the  dividing  lines,  facing  one  another, 
resemble  the  conventional  figures  used  to  denote  fish  weirs,  and  appear 
in  the  present  instance  to  have  been  used  as  ornaments.  As  before 
stated,  the  same  pattern  has  been  suggested,  apparently,  by  the  arrange 
ment  of  the  teeth  of  the  seal,  illustrations  of  which  are  of  frequent 
occurrence  in  the  collections  of  the  National  Museum. 

In  fig.  35  is  the  rude  outline  of  an  ivory  harpoon  head,  on  which  the 
teeth  of  the  seal  are  deeply  incised,  while  in  fig.  36  the  pattern 
approaches  more  nearly  the  rude  meander,  between  which  and  the  true 
zigzag  as  made  by  the  Eskimo  there  are  constant  gradations  and 
blending  of  form. 

The  native  in  plate  40,  bottom  line,  is  following  a  herd  of  walrus.  He 
is  paddling  with  an  ordinary  one-bladed  paddle,  in  front  of  which  is 
the  harpoon  slightly  elevated  above  the  deck,  and  behind  him  is  the 


812  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL   MUSEUM,  1895. 

inflated  seal-skin  float,  the  rear  end  being  bifurcated,  showing  the 
two  flippers.  Four  cross-like  characters  denote  flying  birds. 

The  regularity  and  sameness  of  the  figures  seem  to  denote  an  attempt 
at  ornamentation  as  well  as  a  hunting  record. 

Plate  14,  figs.  4,  5,  6,  and  7,  show  specimens  made  of  reindeer  antler, 
and  are  from  Norton  Sound.  The  ornamentation  is  rude,  and  in  all 
but  one  case  consists  of  the  representation  of  animals.  In  fig.  4  the 
design  is  of  the  " fish  trap"  pattern,  with  a  median  line  and  short 
alternate  radiating  incisions,  the  spaces  being  occupied  by  crosses, 
probably  the  simplest  and  rudest  form  of  ornamentation  excepting  the 

simple  straight  line.  At  one  end 
appears  to  be  an  indication  of  eyes 
and  nostrils,  but  there  is  not  suf 
ficient  marking  to  indicate  whether 
this  was  intended  for  otter  or  seal. 
The  accompanying  illustration, 
fig.  37,  represents  a  tool  the  use  of 

which  is  not  known.  "  It  has  a  point  like  a  graver,7'  says  Mr.  Murdoch, 
"and  is  made  of  reindeer  antler,  ornamented  with  a  pattern  of  incised 
lines  and  bauds,  colored  with  red  ocher,  and  was  perhaps  a  marline 
spike  for  working  with  sinew  cord." 1 

Plate  41,  fig.  5,  shows  a  small  ivory  wedge,  used  in  splitting  small 
pieces  of  wood.  The  specimen  bears  upon  one  side  a  nucleated  circle 
with  two  lateral  radiating  lines,  different  from  the  conventional  flower 
symbol,  though  resembling  to  some  extent  the  circles  and  lines  shown 
on  plate  29,  fig.  5.  Along  the  upper  edge  are  three  parallel  lines. 
From  the  outer  ones,  extending  inward,  are  shown  very  short  diagonal 
lines,  being  a  rude  imitation  of  some  of  the  "fish  trap"  patterns. 

A  general  view  of  the  specimen,  taking  note  of  the  short  curve  over 
the  circle  to  denote  an  eyebrow,  would  suggest 
the  head  of  a  bird,  the  parallel  lines  along  the 
lower  left  side  very  much  resembling  the  mouth. 

Plate  41,  fig.  2,  is  a  small  ivory  creaser  used  in  Fis- 36- 

decorating  moccasins.     Upon  the  sides   are  a    ARRANGEMENT  OF  INCISIONS  TO 

0  \  DENOTE   TEETH  OF  SEAL. 

series  of  parallel  lines  leaving  three  spaces,  the 

central  one  consisting  alternately  of  black  and  white  squares,  while 
the  lateral  spaces  bear  continuous  rude  meander  or  zigzag  patterns. 
The  latter  are  more  neatly  indicated  by  deeper  incisions  than  usually 
found  in  ivory  specimens. 

Plate  41,  fig.  3,  represents  a  bone  guard,  such  as  is  placed  over  the 
bow  of  a  kaiak  to  protect  it  against  floating  ice.  The  chief  ornamenta 
tion  consists  of  three  parallel  lines  extending  along  either  side,  within 
which  is  the  rude  meander  pattern,  while  from  the  outer  sides  extends 
a  sort  of  herring-bone  pattern. 

Plate  41,  fig.  4,  shows  an  ornament,  broken  at  one  end,  which  appears 


'Ninth  Animal  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology  for  1887-88,  1892,  p.  294,  fig  288. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    41. 


2  4 

1  5 

3 


Fig.  1.  WEDGE  FOR  SPLITTING  WALRUS  HIDE. 

(Cat.  No.  437159,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Nunivak  Island.     Collected  by  E.  TV.  Nelson.) 
Fig.  2.  GREASER. 

(Cat.  No.  45140,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Sledge  Island.) 

Fig.  3.  BONE  GUARD  FOR  Bow  OF  BOAT. 

(Cat.  No.  33219,  II.  S.  N.  M.    Collected  by  E.  TV.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  4.  ORNAMENT. 

(Cat.  No.  37431,  U.  S.  N.  M.) 

Fig.  5.  IVORY  WEDGE  FOR  SPLITTING  WOOD. 

(Cat.  No.  48289,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Nunivak  Island.     Collected  by  E.  TV.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  (>.  BODKIN. 

(Cat.  No.  37752,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Cbalitmut.     Collected  by  E.  TV.  Nelson.) 


Report  of  U    S.  National  Museum,  1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  41 


ORNAMENTED  UTENSILS. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895. — Hoffman. 


PLATE  42. 


ORNAMENTED  UTENSILS. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    42. 

I 
1  2          3 

4          5          6 


Fig.  1.  EAR  PENDANT. 

(Cat.  No.  16199,  U.  S.  N.  M.      Nnnivak  Island.     Collected  by  K.  \V.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  2.  TOY  FISH. 

(Cat.  No.  43593,  U.S.  N.M.     Cape  Vancouver.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  3.  HAIR  ORNAMENT. 

(Cat.  No.  37003,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Kushunuk.     Collected  by  E.  \V.  Nelson .) 

Fig.  4.  SPEAR  GUARD  FOR  BOAT. 

(Cat.  No.  37759,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Clialitmut.     Collected  by  Ji.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  5.  HOUSE  HOOK,  FOR  HANGING  n>  UTENSILS. 

(Cat.  No.  73034,  U.  S.  N.*M.    Collected  by  C-  L.  McKay. ) 
Fig.  6.    SPKAli    (JUARD    FOR    BOAT. 

(Cat.  No.  37461,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Anogogumnt.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  7.  ARROW  STRAIGIITENBR. 

(('at.  No.  12780:5,  IT.  S.  N.  M.      Kowak  or  Putnam  River,   Alaska.      Collected  by  Lieut. 
G.  M.  Stoiiey,  U.  S.  N.) 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS. 


813 


to  have  served  as  a  handle,  as  a  small  perforation  in  the  middle  seems 
to  have  been  made  for  the  purpose  of  inserting  a  cord.  The  upper 
side  or  half  of  this  ornament  is  decorated  with  zigzag  cross  lines,  while 
the  lower  has  the  herring-bone  pattern,  like  the  ornaments  upon  one 
side  of  the  running  figure  in  the  preceding  illustration,  plate  41,  fig.  3. 
Plate  41,  fig.  6,  represents  a  bodkin,  and  is  elsewhere  referred  to  with 
respect  to  ornamentation. 

DECORATION   CONSISTING   CHIEFLY   OF   CIRCLES. 

The  several  objects  represented  on  plate  42  are  variously  ornamented 
in  simple  patterns.  Fig.  1  is  an  ivory  ear  pendant,  which  is  creased 
spirally  from  end  to  end  by  one  continuous  line.  Fig.  -5  represents  a  toy 
fish,  upon  which  is  incised  the  figure  of  a  wolf,  with  another  linear 
character  somewhat  resembling  a  crude  representation  of  the  same 
species. 

The  hair  ornament  shown  in  fig.  3  on  the  same  plate  is  decorated 
along  the  upper  half  by  two  pairs  of  transverse  parallel  lines,  between 


Fig.  37. 
TOOTH  0V  ANTLER.      POINT  BARROW. 

which  are  cross  lines  to  resemble  the  common  portraiture  of  a  sus 
pended  seine  net,  as  shown  on  plate  59,  also  in  fig.  79  on  page  865. 

The  spear  guard  shown  in  plate  413,  fig.  4,  bears  a  simple  vertical  line 
from  which  diverge,  downward  and  on  either  side,  three  lines,  between 
which  are  small  punctures.  This  enlarged  figure  suggests  a  like  origin 
as  the  ornamented  line  in  the  middle  of  fig.  6,  the  latter  having  for  its 
conception,  no  doubt,  the  plant  symbol  mentioned  and  figured  else 
where,  particularly  in  connection  with  plate  77,  and  in  fig.  70,  page  863. 
Compare  also  with  fig.  11,  on  plate  77,  and  other  types  of  circles  repre 
sented  thereon,  which  occur  upon  various  types  of  Eskimo  utensils  and 
ornaments. 

Plate  42,  fig.  5,  is  a  common  hook  made  for  use  in  suspending  various 
household  articles. 

In  addition  to  the  lateral  diverging  lines,  the  central  one  is  absent, 
but  in  its  stead  a  continuation  of  perforations  from  which  radiate  three 
incisions,  made  by  means  of  a  narrow  saw  or  a  sharp  edged  file.  These 
incisions  serve  instead  of  the  narrow  or  shallow  creases  noted  on  figs.  4 
and  5.  Punctured  spots  are  also  added  to  serve  as  additional  orna 
ments. 


814  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

The  lower  figure  on  plate  42,  fig.  7,  is  an  arrow  straigliteuer,  made  of 
ivory.  The  lower  longitudinal  line  has  similar,  though  more  frequently 
recurring,  lateral  lines  than  on  fig.  C,  while  the  side  bears  a  continuous 
row  of  nucleated  circles,  the  central  cup-like  perforations  being  unusu 
ally  large  in  comparison  to  the  rings  surrounding  them,  clearly  indicat 
ing  that  a  one-eighth-inch  auger  bit  was  used  in  their  production,  as 
a  smaller  instrument  made  specially  for  incising  rings  (as  the  V-shaped 
cuts  in  the  end  of  a  piece  of  metal)  would  naturally  have  the  two  points 
equally  pointed.  (Compare  plate  77.) 

The  reverse  of  the  side  bearing  the  median  line  bears  a  similar  inci 
sion  from  end  to  end,  but  the  lateral,  oblique,  radiating  lines  are  each 
between  one  eighth  and  one-half  inch  in  length,  somewhat  between  the 
two  sizes  noted  on  plate  8.  This  is  evidently  without  significance  other 
than  that  of  ornamentation. 

In  a  private  communication  of  recent  date  Mr.  L.  M.  Turner  informs 
me,  with  reference  to  the  circle,  that  "this  ornament  is  much  more  com 
mon  south  of  Bering  Strait,  where  it  is  a  conventionalized  representa 
tion  of  a  flower.77  Mr.  Murdoch l  writes : 

Some  of  the  older  implements  in  our  collection,  ornamented  with  this  figure,  may 
have  been  obtained  by  trade  from  the  southern  natives,  but  the  Point  Barrow  people 
certainly  know  how  to  make  it,  as  there  are  a  number  of  newly  made  articles  in  the 
collection  thus  ornamented.  Unfortunately,  we  saw  none  of  these  objects  in  the  proc 
ess  of  manufacture,  as  they  were  made  by  the  natives  during  odd  moments  of  leisure, 
and  at  the  time  I  did  not  realize  the  importance  of  finding  out  the  process.  No  tool 
by  which  these  figures  could  be  made  so  accurately  was  ever  offered  for  sale. 

Neither  Mr.  Turner  nor  Mr.  Ball,  both  of  whom,  as  is  well  known,  spent  long 
periods  among  the  natives  of  the  Yukon  region,  ever  observed  the  process  of  mak 
ing  this  ornament.  The  latter,  however,  suggests  that  it  is  perhaps  done  with  an 
improvised  centerbit,  made  by  sticking  two  iron  points  close  together  in  the  end 
of  the  handle.  *  *  Lines  rarely  represent  any  natural  objects,  but  gen 

erally  form  rather  elegant  conventional  patterns,  most  commonly  double  or  single 
borders,  often  joined  by  oblique  cross  lines  or  fringed  with  short,  pointed  parallel 
lines.  '  '  While  weapons  are  decorated  only  with  conventional  patterns,  other 

implements  of  bone  or  ivory,  especially  those  pertaining  to  the  chase,  like  the  seal 
drags,  etc.,  are  frequently  carved  into  the  shape  of  animals,  as  well  as  being  orna 
mented  with  conventional  patterns. 

Mr.  L.  M.  Turner  says,  furthermore : 

The  circles  which  have  smaller  ones  within  represent  the  so-called  "kantag"  (a 
word  of  Siberian  origin  introduced  by  the  Russians),  or  wooden  vessels,  manufac 
tured  by  Indians  and  bartered  with  the  Innuit  for  oil  and  sealskin  bootsoles,  etc. 
These  "kantags"  are  sometimes  traded  in  nests,  i.e.,  A'arious  sizes,  one  within  the 
other.  (See  figs.  4,  7,  and  10,  on  plate  77.) 

Regarding  the  "circle  figures,77  Mr.  Turner2  remarks  further : 

I  know  from  information  given  by  one  of  the  best  workers  of  bone  and  ivory,  also 
pipe-bowls,  in  the  Unaligmut  (or  Unalit)  village,  near  St.  Michaels,  that  the  circle 
means  a  flower  when  it  has  dentations  on  the  outer  periphery,  and  some  that  were 
unfinished  on  an  old  much  used  handle  for  a  kantag  (wooden  vessel)  were  also  said 
by  him  to  mean  flowers. 


1  Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology  for  1887-88, 1892,  pp.  390,  391. 
2 Letter  dated  February  25,  1895. 


Report  of  U    S   National  Museum,  1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  43. 


'  '        QPttAMENTED  CARVINGS.      AFRICA  AND  ALASKA. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    43. 

I       ~ 


3  4 


Fig.  1.  FETISH  MADE  OF  HIPPOPOTAMUS  TOOTH. 

(Cat,  No.  174704,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Lnknga  River,  Kongo.     Collected  by  Dorsey  Mobuii.) 

Fig.  2.  HAIR-DRESSING  PIN. 

(Cat.  No.  174737,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Lukuga  River,  Kongo.     Collected  by  Dorsey  Mohun.) 

Fig.  3.  HAIR-DRESSING  PIN. 

(Cat,  No.  174736,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Luknli  River,  Kongo.     Collected  by  Dorsey  Mobuii.) 
Fig.  4.  SEAL  DRAG  HANDLE.     Effigy  of  the  auimal. 
(Cat.  No.  33618,  U.  S.  N.  M.     St.  Michaels.  Alaska.) 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  815 

Those  circles  also  represent  the  arms;  just  why  I  do  not  know.  The  spots  over  a 
dog's  eyelid,  usually  brown  in  color  in  the  dog,  are  also  called  Tuq,  and  a  dog  thus 
marked  is  called  Tuqoliq.  The  word  refers  to  the  dark  colored  portion  of  that 
region  and  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  orifice,  hut  when  the  circle  is  made  thus  0, 
then  it  refers  to  the  hole  [spot]  and  the  surrounding  part. 

1  have  elsewhere  shown  how  the  circle,  or  rather  the  spiral,  may  be 
drawn  to  denote  mobility,  as  in  the  shoulder  joint  of  the  figure  of  a 
grasshopper  to  denote  the  Nahuatl  symbol  for  Ohapultepec.1  The 
circle  is  also  used  on  various  figures  of  seals,  and  apparently  denotes 
the  shoulder  joint,  as  shown  in  harpoon  head  in  the  collection  of  the 
Museum  (No.  43750).  Further  illustration  of  the  conventional  use  of 
circles  is  given  under  the  caption  of  Conventionalizing,  with  plate  75. 

The  employment  of  an  iron  or  steel  bit,  evidence  of  which  appears 
to  have  been  one  about  three  sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  is  shown 
upon  a  neatly-carved  seal  obtained  in  St.  Michael's,  here  represented  as 
the  lower  right-hand  figure  on  plate  43,  fig.  4.  The  specimen  was  used 
as  a  seal  drag,  two  perforations  beneath  the  reach  communicating  with  a 
larger  one  at  the  lower  part  of  the  abdomen,  through  which  the  neces 
sary  cord  was  passed.  These  bit  marks  are  in  the  form  of  decorative 
circles,  the  central  holes  being  in  each  filled  with  a  wooden  peg,  the 
eyes,  though  smaller,  also  being  plugged  with  hard  wood. 

Plate  37,  fig.  4,  represents  a  specimen  of  bag  handle  or  drill  bow 
from  Point  Barrow,  showing  a  number  of  nucleated  rings,  only  one 
nucleus  being  without  the  second  outer  ring,  indicating  that  these 
circles  are  made  with  different  instruments. 

Similar  nucleated  circles  appear  upon  specimens  from  an  entirely 
remote  locality.  In  fig.  1  of  the  remaining  specimens  upon  plate  43  we 
have  a  fetish  made  of  hippopotamus  tooth,  secured  by  Mr.  Dorsey 
Mohun  on  the  Lukuga  River,  in  the  Kongo  State.  Africa.  The  nuclei 
are  probably  one-eighth  of  an  inch  in  depth,  while  the  circle  surround 
ing  each  one -fourth  inch  in  diameter.  The  groove  clearly  indicates 
the  use  of  a  metal  tool  in  every  respect  resembling  the  circles  and 
respective  central  pits  upon  the  ornamented  drill  bow  shown  in  fig.  4 
on  plate  37. 

The  specimen  referred  to  is  an  imitation  of  the  human  form,  the  head 
slightly  bowed  forward,  the  arms  close  to  the  body,  with  the  hands 
reaching  toward  each  other  before  the  body.  The  body  is  represented 
as  cut  oft'  a  little  below  the  umbilicus,  and  is  scooped  out  below  as  if 
intended  to  be  placed  upon  a  rod. 

Another  specimen,  fig.  2,  represents  a  hair  dressing  pin,  from  the  same 
locality,  2J  inches  long,  with  a  sharp  point  below,  while  the  almost  flat 
top  or  head  is  ornamented  with  five  similar  nucleated  circles,  each 
three-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  diameter. 

The  remaining  specimen,  fig.  3,  from  the  Lukuga  Eiver,  Kongo  State, 
Africa,  is  a  slightly  concave  disk,  bearing  five  series  of  concentric 

1  "Beginnings  of  Writing."     Appleton  &  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1895.     p.  90,  fig.  49. 


£16  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

circles,  the  central  perforation  in  the  middle  passing  entirely  through 
the  piece  of  ivory,  which  at  that  point  is  three  -  fourths  of  an  inch 
thick.  The  circles  were  also  made  with  a  metal  tool,  more  likely  of 
native  manufacture,  out  of  a  piece  of  foreign  iron  or  steel,  the  end 
of  which  was  filed  A -shaped,  as  mentioned  in  connection  with  the 
jnstruments  of  the  Eskimo. 

These  African  specimens,  two  made  of  hippopotamus  teeth  and  one 
of  ivory,  are  similar  in  texture  to  the  materials  employed  by  the 
Eskimo,  and  the  process  adopted  practically  the  same  because  of  such 

texture. 

These  illustrations  are  here  introduced  not  with  the  object  of  tracing 
the  migration  or  transmission  of  a  given  pattern,  but  because  of  the 
interest  naturally  excited  by  the  independent  discovery  of  a  process  of 
workmanship  found  to  have  developed  in  such  widely  remote  localities. 
~  In  northern  Africa  the  same  form  of  circle,  nucleated  and  as  concen- 
trie  rings,  is  very  much  employed  for  decorative  purposes.  What  the 
original  signification  may  have  been  it  is  now,  perhaps,  impossible  to 
determine,  and  it  may  be  that  in  the  two  localities  to  be  referred  to 
below  the  designs  were  brought  from  Europe,  and  probably  originally 
from  the  Ottoman  Empire. 

On  plate  44  is  shown  a  leather,  brass  mounted  knife  sheath,  at  the 
upper  end  of  which  is  a  tolerably  fair  attempt  at  a  figure  consisting  of 
concentric  rings,  while  beneath  it  a  series  of  rectangular  figures  within 
one  another.  The  designs  are  produced  by  pressure  from  the  under  side, 
the  patterns  having  been  made  before  the  piece  of  sheet  metal  was 
placed  about  the  sheath.  This  example  is  from  Tangier,  in  Morocco. 

From  an  antique  subterranean  chapel  at  Carthage  was  obtained, 
about  fifteen  years  since,  a  collection  of  Christian  lamps  and  other  evi 
dences  of  the  secret  profession  of  the  then  new  faith,  among  the  orna 
mentation  upon  some  of  which  relics  are  many  symbols  of  Christianity 
and  of  monograms  of  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  but  the  most  interest 
ing  in  the  present  connection  is  the  recurrence  of  the  very  widespread 
figure  of  concentric  rings,  as  also  of  squares  or  rectangular  figures 
within  one  another,  as  will  be  observed  upon  the  illustration  of  the 
Koman  lamp  in  plate  45. 

This  illustration  is  reproduced  from  an  article  by  A.  Delathe  on 
Carthage  1'antique  chapelle  Souterraine  de  la  Colline  de  Saint- Louis.1 

Upon  another  lamp  of  the  same  general  form,  from  the  same  locality, 
is  a  cross  pattee,  the  arms  of  which  are  severed  with  nucleated  and 
concentric  rings,  exactly  like  many  of  those  upon  Alaskan  objects. 

The  larger  rings  and  square  figures  upon  the  lamp  shown  in  plate  45 
resemble  those  upon  the  brass-ornamented  Moorish  knife  sheath  from 
Tangier,  Morocco  (plate  44),  where  it  was  secured  by  Lieutenant  A.  P. 
Mblack,  0.  S.  !N".  The  chief  interest  lies  in  the  two  designs  near  the 

i  Cosmos,  Revue  de  Sciences  et  de  leurs  applications,  Paris,  Nouvelle  S^r,  582, 
1896  (March  21),  p.  495. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,   1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  44. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  45. 


ROMAN  LAMP.     CARTHAGE. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF   THE    ESKIMOS.  817 

top — one  a  figure  of  rectangles  within  one  another,  and  the  other  a 
figure  of  rude  rings  surrounding  one  another. 

It  is  strange  that  these  two  designs  should  be  suggested  upon  the 
Roman  lamp  from  Carthage,  the  latter  of  an  early  Christian  period, 
and  from  the  same  quarter  of  Africa.  It  is  probable  that  both  designs 
may  have  their  origin  in  the  peculiar  Oriental  patterns  so  freely 
employed  in  Mohammedan  countries,  in  some  of  which  they  even  ante 
date  the  birth  of  Mohammed.  The  occurrence  of  like  designs  in  Turk 
estan  is  also  mentioned,  and  their  apparent  absence  in  Hindustan, 
as  illustrated  by  the  collections  in  the  National  Museum,  is  rather 
remarkable. 

The  delicate  zigzag  lines  on  the  middle  band  of  the  sheath  are  appar 
ently  made  in  the  same  manner  as  like  patterns  on  Polynesian  weapons 
and  ornaments,  by  pressing  forward  upon  the  tool,  and  at  the  same 
time  rocking  it  from  side  to  side,  the  lateral  incised  points  being  made 
as  the  lateral  cutting  edge  is  depressed,  and  again  liberated  when 
turning  the  tool  toward  the  opposite  side  to  make  a  similar  mark.  The 
work  is  performed  rapidly,  and  may  be  crudely  though  similarly  imi 
tated  by  means  of  a  very  narrow  chisel  and  a  piece  of  hard  wood. 

The  recent  discoveries  in  Egypt  by  Mr.  Flinders-Petrie  are  of  so 
high  an  interest  to  archaeology  generally,  that  a  brief  reference  thereto 
may  be  of  intern  c,  especially  so  because  some  of  the  pottery  is  deco 
rated  not  only  with  figures  of  animals  and  birds,  but  a  common  decora 
tive  motive  which  represents  "a  long  boat  with  two  cabins,  an  ensign 
pole,  and  many  oars;  sometimes  the  figure  of  a  man  is  added."  A  red 
ware,  said  to  have  been  imported  from  the  Mediterranean  region,  bears 
decorations  of  "dents  de  loup,"  flowers,  and  plants. 

Of  great  interest  is  the  discovery  of  vessels  bearing  numerous 
figures  of  concentric  circles,  vases  of  ruder  type  than  the  lathe-made 
ceramics  of  the  Egyptians,  and  recognized  to  be  the  workmanship  of  a 
foreign  people. 

These  intruders,  the  evidences  of  whose  general  culture,  beliefs,  and  funeral  cus 
toms  show  them  to  have  been  strangers  in  the  Nile  Valley.  Not  a  single  detail  of 
their  culture  did  they  hold  in  common  with  the  Egyptians.  Moreover,  their  num 
ber,  which  was  found  to  have  spread  over  a  considerable  portion  of  upper  Egypt, 
from  Abydos  to  Gebelen,  over  one  hundred  miles,  whilst  their  influence  was  observ 
able  from  Tenneh  to  Hieraconpolis,  i.  e.,  over  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  and 
absolute  control  of  the  region  which  they  assumed  and  which  is  shown  by  the  total 
absence  of  any  object  recalling  Egyptian  civilization,  show  them  not  only  to  have 
been  invaders,  but  invaders  Avho  once  had  swept  over  the  region  and  who,  settling 
down,  had  lived  there  for  a  considerable  period,  borrowing  little  or  nothing  of  the 
people  whose  land  they  occupied.1 

In  connection  with  the  report  made  by  Mrs.  Cornelius  Stevenson, 
whose  words  I  have  quoted,  Doctor  D.  G.  Brintou  remarks  that  these 

1  Proceedings  of  the  American  Philosophical  Society,  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  XXXV 
1896.  p.  57,  Plate  IV. 

NAT  MUS  95 52 


818  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

intruders  were  probably  Libyans— that  is,  Berbers — the  ethnography 
of  which  stock  has  been  a  special  study  with  him.  Doctor  Brinton 
remarks:  "  This  identification,  I  believe,  will  finally  be  established.  If 
we  examine  the  configuration  of  the  Nile  Valley  and  its  surroundings, 
no  other  theory  is  tenable,  providing  the  Libyan  stock  extended  that 
far  south  of  the  Mediterranean  at  a  date  3000  B.  C.  We  know  they 
did,  and  much  earlier,  from  their  very  early  presence  in  east  Africa." 
It  appears  to  be  conclusively  shown  by  Doctor  Brinton's  further  argu 
ments  that  the  unew  race"  was  of  the  Libyan  stock. 

The  origin  of  the  concentric  circles  and  other  incised  ornamentation 
as  decorative  motives  on  this  pottery  would  seem  to  have  come  from 
the  Mediterranean,  perhaps  north  of  it,  where  a  near  approach  is  found 
in  later  Neolithic  stations  in  Italy,  Spain,  and  in  the  lower  strata  of 
Hasserlik.  Could  there  have  been  a  prehistoric  common  center  of 
development  of  this  very  common  ornament  in  northwestern  Europe, 
from  which  it  was  carried  into  Scandinavia,  and  the  valleys  of  certain 
portions  of  France,  where  its  occurrence  is  so  frequently  remarked  in 
bronze  and  other  articles  of  personal  adornment? 

It  has  been  shown  that  trade  routes  existed  in  prehistoric  times 
between  Italy  and  the  Scandinavian  Peninsula  and  Denmark,  the  scat 
tered  graves  en  route  producing  amber  for  one  side  and  ornaments  of 
south  European  manufacture  on  the  other.  Similar  trade  routes,  which 
were  also  culture  routes,  have  also  been  suggested  as  having  existed 
between  Scandinavia  across  northern  Europe  and  Asia  down.into  India. 
Why  could  not  like  routes  have  been  followed  in  prehistoric  times  along 
the  lines  of  the  localities  producing  so  much  jewelry  and  fictile  ware 
chiefly  ornamented  with  spirals  and  concentric  rings? 

That  trade  routes  existed  between  the  countries  of  the  Mediterra 
nean,  even  as  far  east  as  Macedonia,  has  been  well  established,  and 
the  following  remarks  are  of  interest  in  this  connection : 

In  the  June  number  of  "  The  Strand  Magazine " l  appeared  an  illus 
trated  article  devoted  to  finds  of  coins  in  Great  Britain,  one  illustration 
in  particular  attracting  my  attention  because  of  the  presence  upon  the 
reverse  of  a  nucleated  ring,  which  character  in  this  connection  appears 
to  have  no  apparent  relation  with  the  other  objects  represented  upon 
the  coin  and  with  which  it  is  associated. 

Upon  reference  to  the  various  works  on  the  coinage  of  the  ancient 
Britons,  several  curious,  interesting,  and  apparently  new  facts  present 
themselves— facts  which  may  with  propriety  be  here  referred  to.  The 
subject  seems  to  me  to  be  closely  related  to  that  under  consideration  in 
so  far  as  it  relates  to  trade  or  culture  routes,  and  the  adoption  of  char 
acters  by  a  people  with  whose  signification  or  import  they  may  be  unac 
quainted,  and  the  ultimate  replacement  of  such  characters  which  may 
be  of  importance  in  and  a  necessary  part  of  the  prototype,  by  the  sub- 

1  London,  1896. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  819 

stitution  of  tlieir  own  characters  or  symbols,  through  which  change  the 
signification  of  the  legend  upon  the  prototype  is  lost,  and  would  no 
longer  be  recognized  by  the  authors  thereof. 

I  have  already  referred  to  the  coinage  of  the  Britons,  as  treated  in 
the  admirable  work  of  Doctor  John  Evans,1  to  which  the  reader  is 
referred  for  full  details  and  ample  illustrations  in  support  of  the  sug 
gestions  ventured  below. 

I  have  had  occasion  to  refer  to  British  coins  bearing  the  figure  of  the 
horse,  with  additional  legs  to  denote  that  more  than  one  such  animal 
was  intended.  Such  practice  of  representing  a  part  for  the  whole,  or 
vice  versa,  was  referred  to  as  synecdoche,  and  as  being  common  to  the 
pictographic  records  of  the  North  American  Indians. 

On  plate  43,  fig.  3,  is  the  representation  of  an  un  in  scribed  British 
gold  coin,  upon  the  reverse  ot  which  appears  the  outline  of  a  horse, 
each  leg  divided  into  two,  so  as  to  resemble — in  fact,  give — eight  legs, 
and  suggesting  the  two  horses  noticeable  upon  the  obverse  of  the  typical 
prototype,  as  shown  in  fig.  1  on  the  same  plate.  Now,  looking  at  the 
legs  of  the  horse  on  the  reverse  of  fig.  l',  there  will  be  seen  the  same 
number  of  legs,  with  the  exception  that  the  engraver  of  this  piece  has 
united  each  pair  at  the  fetlocks,  so  as  to  terminate  in  one  hoof,  instead 
of  two  hoofs,  as  in  some  other  examples. 

In  the  specimens  of  the  same  series  of  coins  the  successive  copying 
of  designs  has  resulted  in  solid  legs  instead  of  by  pairs,  thus  returning 
to  a  pattern  on  which  but  a  single  animal  is  portrayed. 

But  to  return  from  this  digression.  It  is  necessary  to  show  how  the 
original  patterns  came  to  be  employed  by  the  designers  for  the  British 
coins.  It  has  been  pretty  clearly  proven  by  Doctor  John  Evans,  Mr. 
Hawkins,  and  others,  that  the  ancient  Britons  were  possessed  of  money 
long  before  the  time  of  Cfpsar's  visit.  The  distinct  mention  of  money 


1  "The  Coins  of  the  Ancient  Britons."     London:  1864-1890. 

See  also  Adamson's  Account  of  the  discovery  at  Hexham,  in  Northumberland,  of 
Anglo-Saxon  coins  called  Stycas.  Royal  Society  of  Antiquarians  of  London  [1834?]. 
Illustrations  of  941  coins. 

Doctor  Stukeley's  "  Twenty- three  plates  of  the  Coins  of  the  Ancient  British  Kings/' 
London.  [1765.] 

Doctor  Evans  remarks  that  "the  coins  themselves  are  most  inaccurately  drawn/' 
yet  they  are  interesting  as  showing  a  certain  degree  of  evolution  and  alteration  of 
characters  \vhich  the  engravers  copied  or  attempted  to  copy  from  the  prototypes. 

Nummorum  Antiquorum  Scriniis  Bodleianis  Ricouditorum  Catalogue  cum  com- 
mentario  tabulis  a'neis  et  appondice.  [Oxonii  ?]  A.  D.  1750.  Plates. 

Numiui  Britannici,  of  interest  in  present  connection,  are  shown  on  Plate  XVI. 

Annals  of  the  Coinage  of  Britain,  by  the  Rev.  Rogers  Rudiiig,  B.  D.  4  vols. 
London,  1819.  Plates  and  map. 

The  Silver  Coins  of  England,  by  Edward  Hawkins,  F.  R.  S.,  etc.  London,  1887. 
8°.  Plates  and  map.  Gives  illustrations  of  British  coins  similarto  other  derivatives 
of  the  Macedonian  Phillipus. 

Celtic  Inscriptions  on  Gaulish  and  British  Coins.  Beale  Poste.  London,  1861. 
Plates  i-xi. 


820  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

occurs  in  various  classic  writings  of  the  time  of  Caesar,  and  yearly  trib 
ute  is  noted  by  Dion  Cassius,  Eutropius,  Diodorus,  Strabo,  and  others. 
Doctor  Evans  remarks : 

It  may  indeed  be  urged  that  these  writers  are  all  of  them  later  than  Ctosar;  but 
it  is  to  be  observed  that  the  information  upon  which  some  of  them  wrote  was  derived 
from  earlier  sources,  and  that  not  one  of  them  treats  the  presence  of  gold  and  silver 
in  this  country  as  of  recent  date,  or  appears  to  have  had  the  remotest  conception 
that  in  the  time  of  Julius  Ca>sar  it  was  destitute  of  them.1 

Commerce  between  the  Gauls  and  Britons  existed  long  anterior  to 
the  period  of  the  Eomau  invasion,  and  a  native  coinage  existed  also 
among  the  Gauls.  The  intercourse  of  the  Phoenicians  and  Britons  was 
also  of  an  early  date,  and  the  founding  of  the  Greek  colony  of  Massilia 
(Marseilles) — usually  placed  at  about  B.  C.  600 — also  aided  in  civilizing 
that  part  of  Gaul,  where  the  neighboring  Gauls  no  doubt  first  learned 
of  the  usages  of  civilized  life,  the  effect  of  such  acquirements  gradually 
extending  toward  the  channel  settlements,  and  finally  across  and 
among  the  British  tribes.  From  this  center  of  civilization,  says  Doctor 
Evans,  the  Gauls  became  acquainted  with  the  art  of  coining. 

The  early  silver  coins  of  Massilia  (and  none  in  gold  are  known)  were  occasionally 
imitated  in  the  surrounding  country ;  but  when,  about  the  year  B.  C.  365,  the  gold 
mines  of  Crenides  (or  Philippi)  were  acquired  by  Philip  II  of  JNIacedou,  and  worked 
so  as  to  produce  about  £250,000  worth  of  gold  per  annum,  the  general  currency  of 
gold  coins,  which  had  before  been  of  very  limited  extent,  became  much  more  exten 
sive,  and  the  stater  of  Philip — the  regale  nurnisnie  of  Horace — became  everywhere 
diffused,  and  seems  at  once  to  have  been  seized  on  by  the  barbarians  who  came  in 
contact  with  Greek  civilization  as  an  object  of  imitation.  In  Gaul  this  was 
especially  the  case,  and  the  whole  of  the  gold  coinage  of  that  country  may  be  said 
to  consist  of  imitation,  more  or  less  rude  and  degenerate,  of  the  Macedonian 
Philippus.'2 

Doctor  Evans  further  remarks  : 

Another  reason  for  the  adoption  of  the  Philippus  as  the  model  for  imitation  in  the 
Gaulish  coinage  has  been  found  in  the  probability  that  when  Brennus  plundered 
Greece,  B.  C.  279,  he  carried  away  a  great  treasure  of  these  coins,  which  thus  became 
the  gold  currency  of  Gaul.  This  would,  however,  have  had  more  effect  in  Paunonia, 
from  whence  the  army  of  Brennus  came,  than  in  the  more  western  Gaul. 

On  plate  4G,  fig.  1,  is  reproduced  a  type  of  the  Philippus,  the  lau 
reate  head  upon  the  obverse  representing  Apollo  (or,  according  to 
some,  of  young  Hercules),  while  on  the  reverse  is  shown  a  charioteer 
in  a  biga,  with  the  name  of  Philip  below  a  horizontal  line  in  the 
exergue. 

The  biga  on  these  coins  of  Philippus  II  refers  to  the  victories  of 
Philip  at  Olympia.  The  resemblance  to  Apollo  may  have  been  sug 
gested  by  some  relation  to  that  identification  of  Hercules  and  the  sun 
which  prevailed  in  Asia  at  a  later  time,  and  possibly  as  early  as  that  of 


1  "  The  Coins  of  the  Ancient  Britons."     London :  1864-1890,  p.  20. 
2 Idem.,  p.  24. 


EXPLANATION     OF    PLATE    46. 

Fig.  1.  Stater  of  Philip  II.  of  Macedon. 

Fig.  2.  Uninscribed  gold  coin  of  ancient  Britons,  believed  to  have  been  designed  after 
stater  of  Philip.  Gold;  weight,  111  grains. 

Fig.  3.  Resembles  preceding,  though  bust  and  horse  face  toward  left.  Weight,  114 
grains. 

Fig.  4.  Also  uiiiuscribed  and  of  gold.  The  fillet  is  of  leaves  turned  upward  ;  the  horse 
is  disjointed,  and  greater  departure  from  the  prototype  is  apparent. 

Fig.  5.  Another  gold  imitation  of  the  stater,  but  still  greater  dissimilarity  is  appar 
ent  on  the  reverse. 

Fig.  6.  Five  small  dots  are  introduced  in  the  face,  so  as  to  cover  the  space  between 
the  eyes  and  hair.  Beneath  the  horse,  the  helmet,  visible  in  the  stater,  has 
become  a  circle  surrounded  by  small  dots. 

Fig.  7.  The  departure  from  the  prototype  is  still  more  interesting  in  this  specimen — 
a  nucleated  circle,  a  plain  circle,  and  a  pellet  appearing  beneath  the  horse 
in  place  of  the  helmet.  Doctor  Evans,  from  whom  these  references  were 
obtained,  remarks  that  this  specimen  shows  "a  curious  instance  of  extreme 
degradation  from  the  type  of  the  Phillipus  on  the  reverse." 
The  headdress  resembles  a  cruciform  ornament,  with  two  open  crescents 
placed  back  to  back  in  the  center.  The  reverse  bears  the  horse,  with  both 
a  circle  and  a  wheel-shaped  ornament  in  lieu  of  the  helmet. 


Report  cf  U.  S.  National  Museum.   1  895.—  Hof'mar 


PLATE  46. 


BRITISH  IMITATIONS  OF  MACEDONIAN  STATER. 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  821 

Philip  II.1  Between  the  horses  and  base  line  is  the  figure  of  a  helmet, 
suggesting  the  head  gear  of  the  slain  over  which  the  victor  is  driving. 
On  some  specimens  the  helmet  is  replaced  by  the  fulmen,  a  A,  or  the 
Greek  1\ 

Because  of  the  limited  space,  the  wheel  of  the  chariot  is  rather  oval, 
suggesting  perspective  on  the  engraving,  though  on  later  imitations 
this  can  not  be  claimed  for  the  elliptical  form  of  the  wheel  or  the 
character  substituted  therefor.  "The  earliest  of  the  Gaulish  imita- 
"tions,"  says  Doctor  Evans,2  "  follow  the  prototype  pretty  closely,  but 
eventually  both  the  head  and  the  biga  become  completely  transformed." 

The  earliest  British  coins  showing  such  imitation  of  the  Philippus 
are  believed  to  be  of  the  period  of  150-200  B.  0.,  although  the  death 
of  Philip  II  took  place  B.  C.  336,  so  that  his  coins  began  to  be 
imitated  in  Gaul  about  B.  0.  300. 

The  author  whom  I  have  above  quoted  says  also  that  coins  reduce  in 
weight  for  the  sake  of  the  small  gain  of  the  governing  power  ;  and 
coincident  with  such  reduction  in  weight,  and  perhaps  size,  there  is  a 
remarkable  change  in  types,  in  each  successive  imitation,  thus  depart 
ing  more  and  more  from  the  original  prototype.  "The  reduction  of  a 
complicated  and  artistic  design  into  a  symmetrical  figure  of  easy  execu 
tion  was  the  object  of  each  successive  engraver  of  the  dies  for  these 
coins,  though  probably  they  were  themselves  unaware  of  any  undue 
saving  of  trouble  on  their  part  or  of  the  results  which  ensued  from  it."3 

By  reference  to  the  illustrations  as  figs.  4  and  5,  and  plate  47,  figs.  3 
and  8,  examples  selected  from  many  diverse  forms,  there  will  be  observed 
a  most  remarkable  deviation  in  engraving  from  the  original  type.  The 
wreath  and  hair  become  so  strangely  altered  as  to  be  scarcely  recog 
nizable,  a  few  geometric  or  other  simple  figures  serving  in  place  of  the 
leaves  and  locks.  These  finally  result  in  a  cross-like  figure,  as  in  plate 
47,  figs.  1  and  2,  while  in  some  still  other  imitations  the  head  is  repre 
sented  by  an  ear  of  grain,  like  wheat  or  rye  (designated  by  Doctor 
Evans  as  corn). 

The  most  interesting  changes  occur,  however,  upon  the  reverse  of 
the  imitations,  and  it  is  to  these  changes  that  I  wish  to  make  special 
reference. 

As  stated,  the  typical  Philippus  bears  beneath  the  horses  a  helmet, 
as  shown  upon  the  illustration  in  plate  46,  fig.  1.  This  article  of  head 
gear  may  or  may  not  have  been  known  to  the  Gauls,  and  if  it  were,  it 
is  more  than  probable  that  the  Britons  were  unfamiliar  with  it,  being 
more  remote  from  the  peoples  by  whom  such  defensive  armor  was 
used,  so  that  even  if  the  helmet  was  represented  upon  Gaulish  imita 
tions,  the  British  engraver  seems  to  have  ignored  the  exact  form  and 


Quoted  at  second  liaiid  from  Numismata  Hellenica,  T>y  William  Martin 
Leake.     London,  1886,  in  footnote. 

2  "  The  Coins  of  the  Ancient  Britons."     London,  1864-1890,  p.  24. 
:!  Idem.,  p.  28. 


822  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

to  have  made  what  he  thought  may  have  been  intended,  or  perhaps 
even  ventured  to  introduce  a  British  symbolic  figure,  the  signification 
of  which  he  did  comprehend. 

It  is  probable,  also,  that,  in  the  absence  of  good  tools  for  engraving 
metals,  some  of  the  simpler  designs  were  made  by  using  a  pointed 
punch  or  like  tool,  and  punching  the  patterns  or  parts  of  patterns 
desired.  The  pellet,  surrounded  by  a  ring  of  pellets,  was  equivalent 
to  a  ring  with  its  nucleus,  as  in  plate  40,  fig.  8.  The  figure  also  pre 
sents  itself  as  a  circle  with  four  small  pellets  arranged  in  the  form  of  a 
cross,  and  plate  46,  figs.  2  and  6,  and  finally  in  the  semblance  of  a  wheel 
with  six,  seven,  or  eight  spokes,  illustrations  of  which  are  given  in 
plate  46,  figs.  7  and  8,  and  plate  47,  figs.  1,  2,  and  8.  Leaving  off  the 
circle  suggested  a  cross,  as  in  the  former,  and  a  star,  as  in  plate  47,  fig. 
3,  both  without  doubt  Druidical  symbols,  as  was  also  the  nucleated 
ring,  of  all  of  which  numerous  examples  occur.  This  cross  or  star  form 
ultimately  gave  rise  to  imitations  of  crab-like  objects,  which  in  turn 
were  interpreted  to  denote  figures  resembling  the  hand.  Such  gradual 
though  persistent  imitation  resulted  in  some  remarkably  dissimilar 
patterns,  as  may  be  noted  by  comparing  the  typical  Philippus  in  plate 
46,  fig.  1,  with  the  illustration,  plate  46,  figs.  5  and  6,  while  beneath  the 
figure  of  a  disjointed  horse  on  plate  47,  fig.  3,  the  star  survives;  while 
the  head  upon  the  obverse  retains  but  a  few  rectangular  marks  to  denote 
leaves,  while  the  right-hand  upper  figure  signifies  the  eye,  and  the  lower 
broken  circle,  bearing  a  <-shaped  attachment,  the  mouth. 

The  A,  which  has  been  referred  to  as  a  variant,  and  rarely  occurring 
beneath  the  body  of  the  horse,  has  been  reproduced  as  a  triangle,  the 
angles  of  which  consist  of  nucleated  circles  connected  by  short  lines. 
This  symbol  is  also  an  astronomical  character,  and  is  of  frequent  occur 
rence  on  various  petroglyphs  located  in  that  area  of  country  formerly 
occupied  by  the  several  tribes  of  Indians  composing  the  Shoshonian 
linguistic  family. 

Again,  the  same  object  figures  extensively  in  the  mnemonic  records 
of  the  Ojibwa  Indians,  especially  those  records  relating  to  the  sha- 
mauistic  ritual  of  the  Mide/wTiwin,  or  Grand  Medicine  Society,  elsewhere 
described  in  detail.1  Another  symbol  found  in  lieu  of  the  triangle, 
though  without  doubt  a  variant  of  it,  resembles  an  Ojibwa  symbol  to 
denote  uthe  mystic  power  of  looking  into  the  earth  and  there  discov 
ering  sacred  objects."  It  consists  of  three  rings,  or  perhaps  even 
nucleated  rings,  placed  in  the  form  of  a  triangle,  a  wavy  line  extending 
around  the  upper  circle  and  downward  to  either  side  toward  the  lower 
ones,  denoting  "  lines  of  vision."  What  the  signification  of  the  char 
acter  upon  the  coins  may  have  been  it  is  impossible  to  imagine,  unless 
it  were  merely  a  variant  of  the  A,  which  in  turn  may  have  been  a  con 
ventionalized  form  of  the  helmet,  as  shown  in  the  typical  Philippus  on 


1  See  tlie  writer's  exposition  of  this  ritual  in  the  Seventh  Annual  Report  of  the 
Bureau  of  Ethnology  for  1885-86,  1891,  p.  143. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895. — Hoffman. 


PLATE  47. 


COINS  OF  BRITONS  AND  GAULS. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    47. 

Fig.  1.  The  head  ornament  on  this  piece  becomes  more  cross-like  than  in  the  preced 
ing,  while  upon  the  reverse  the  appearance  of  a  nucleated  circle  beneath 
the  horse  is  counteibalaiiced  by  another  with.au  additional  circle  of  dots 
or  pellets  about  it  above  the  animal's  back.  Upon  the  reverse  is  the  name 
of  a  prince,  TASCIOVAN,  whose  Latinized  name  would  be  TASCIOVANUS,  the 
exact  form  in  which  the  name  appears  upon  the  coins  of  Cunobeline,  who 
proclaims  himself  to  have  been  TASCIOVAXI  F. 

Fig.  2.  On  this  piece  the  cruciform  ornament  becomes  still  more  intricate,  while  the 
circles  are  in  various  forms  and  of  various  types. 

Fig.  3.  The  remains  of  the  wreath  are  undefined,  and  the  object  beneath  the  horse 
has  assumed  a  stellar  form  instead  of  a  circle,  which  in  turn  was  a  helmet 
in  the  prototype. 

Figs.  4-7.  These  coins  are  cast  and  not  stamped.  In  some  specimens  noted  by  Doctor 
Evans  the  grain  of  the  wooden  mold  is  distinctly  visible.  The  obverse 
in  all  bears  a  head  in  imitation  of  some  petroglyphic  remains  in  North 
America,  though  the  reverse  shows  the  outline  of  an  animal  believed  to 
be  a  horse. 

Fig.  8.  This  specimen  has  a  laureate  bust  without  any  signs  of  a  face;  the  open 
crescents  are  connected  by  a  serpent  line.  The  reverse  bears  a  horse  with 
a  triple  tail  and  a  wheel  beneath  the  body. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  823 

plate  46,  fig.  1.  Very  interesting  indeed  are  the  coins  of  tin — or  an 
alloy  in  which  that  metal  is  in  excess — though  these  are  believed  to  be 
Gaulish  rather  than  British,  although  the  head  of  the  Philippus  proto. 
type  is  rudely  reproduced,  while  the  animal  upon  the  reverse  is  believed 
by  Doctor  Evans  to  represent  a  bull  rather  than  the  horse.  Plate  47, 
figs.  4,  5,  6,  and  7. 

The  human  head  upon  the  obverse  is  the  rude  representation  of  that 
part  of  the  body,  the  face  being  indicated  by  two  crescents,  one  above 
the  other,  with  the  concave  side  outward.  The  eye  consists  either  of 
a  simple  ring,  a  nucleated  ring,  or  the  latter  attached  to  a  stem  which 
extends  down  toward  the  neck.  The  animal  form  upon  the  reverse  is 
readily  determined  by  comparison  with  other  coins  showing  variants. 

The  two  characters  beneath  the  animal  form  on  plate  47,  fig.  4,  appear 
to  be  a  remnant  of  or  to  have  been  suggested  by  the  exergual  legend 
on  the  prototype  on  which  the  name,  in  Greek  characters,  of  Philippus 
occurs. 

On  some  of  the  British  coins  no  trace  of  a  legend  remains,  but  in  a 
few  instances  some  apparently  meaningless  characters  appear  to  have 
been  introduced,  clearly  indicating  that  the  engraver  was  aware  of 
some  legend  upon  his  copy,  but  being  unacquainted  with  its  import  or 
signification,  introduced  an  equivalent  in  so  far  as  ornamentation  was 
concerned,  following  the  custom  of  geometric  decoration.  Such  an  illus 
tration  is  here  reproduced  on  plate  46,  figs.  3,  4,  and  7.  In  other 
examples  again,  this  style  of  zigzag  decoration  is  omitted  below  the 
exergue  line  and  a  nucleated  circle  portrayed  instead  of  a  legend  or 
other  character,  as  in  plate  47,  fig.  1. 

The  wheel  of  the  chariot,  which  is  apparent  in  the  prototype,  is  gen 
erally  oval,  sometimes  elliptical,  and  in  some  of  the  British  imitations 
a  second  wheel  is  placed  upon  any  remaining  otherwise  vacant  spot, 
such  an  illustration  being  reproduced  on  plate  47,  fig.  3,  while  in  plate 

46,  fig.  8,  two  wheel-like  characters  are  introduced,  one  above  the  body 
of  the  horse  and  the  other  beneath,  instead  of  the  common  nucleated 
ring.    In  examining  the  numerous  examples  of  coins  one  finds  too  that 
the  British  engraver  has  introduced,  instead  of  the  figure  of  a  char 
ioteer,  a  number  of  disjointed  pellets  or  rings,  and  short  straight  or 
curved  lines,  making  it  almost  impossible  to  trace  the  original  in  this 
jumble  of  characters.     In  some  instances  these  segregated  dots  and 
lines  again  appear  to  become  readjusted,  ultimately  forming  a  chari 
oteer  in  the  form  of  what  seems  to  be  a  winged  figure  of  victory. 

Similar  unique  and  interesting  imitations  occur  on  the  obverse  of 
the  British  coins,  in  which  the  engraver's  interpretation  of  the  head 
of  Apollo  (or  Hercules)  is  shown,  sometimes  as  a  fanciful  cross,  plate 

47,  fig.  1,  and  in  other  instances  as  an  ear  of  grain,  examples  being 
shown  in  plate  46,  figs.  3,  5,  and  7. 

In  this  use  of  the  circles,  nucleated  rings,  and  other  British  or  Gaul 
ish  symbols  upon  British  coins,  no  evidence  appears  of  the  transmission 


824  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

of  such  characters  from  Macedonia,  from  which  the  coins  were  obtained, 
and  which  furnished  the  designs  upon  the  Philippus  for  the  British  and 
Gaulish  engravers.  Nevertheless,  other  of  the  Macedonian  coins  bear 
upon  the  reverse  concentric  rings,  between  which  are  serrations,  so  as 
to  almost  appear  like  circular  saws  of  various  sizes  laid  one  upon  the 
other,  diminishing  in  size  toward  the  upper  or  last  one.  On  a  coin  of 
Herod  I.,  bearing  a  Macedonian  shield,  while  upon  the  obverse  of  the 
same  piece  is  a  helmet,  with  cheek  pieces,  surrounded  by  a  legend. 
The  helmet,  which  appears  to  form  the  chief  emblem  upon  the  piece, 
greatly  resembles  the  smaller  headpiece  upon  the  obverse  of  the  stater 
shown  in  plate  46,  fig.  1 . 

Mr.  Gardner,1  in  his  paper  on  "Ares  as  a  sun  god,  and  solar  symbols 
on  coins  of  Thrace  and  Macedon,"  shows  that  the  Macedonian  shield 
is  of  astronomical  pattern,  and  belongs  specially  to  a  deity  who  is 
worshiped  as  the  sun,  and  the  interior  device  of  this  shield  on  the 
coins  of  Herod  I.  is  identical  with  that  adopted  as  the  whole  type  on 
certain  coins  of  Uranopolis  of  Macedon. 

The  occurrence  of  circles  to  denote  ring  money  is  found  in  the  Egyp 
tian  hieroglyphs,  and  it  is  barely  possible  that  such  characters  upon 
obelisks,  or  in  other  petroglyphs,  may  have  had  some  reference  to  ring 
money  in  the  various  countries  with  which  the  Egyptians  were  in  com 
mercial  relations,  extending  possibly  to  Macedonia,  Phoenicia,  and  other 
of  the  peoples  of  the  northern  shores  of  the  Mediterranean. 

The  Egyptians  used  rings  of  gold  and  silver,  and  the  Hebrew  expres 
sion  for  the  heaviest  unit  in  weight,  the  talent,  originally  meant  a  circle. 
Gold  rings,  says  Mr.  Madden,2  were  also  used  as  a  means  of  exchange 
in  Britain,  in  the  interior  of  Africa,  among  the  Norwegian  sea  kings, 
and  in  China  disks  with  central  perforations  are  employed.  The  brass 
cash  is  an  illustration  of  the  latter,  and  the  sacred  writings  make 
frequent  reference  to  rings  of  metal  and  strings  of  gold,  the  latter 
evidently  being  tied  in  bundles  of  certain  specified  weights  and  values. 

Interesting  as  this  subject  may  be,  it  would  be  inappropriate  in  the 
present  paper  to  continue  the  study  of  types  of  rings  and  variants 
and  their  signification  in  the  various  localities  throughout  the  world 
in  which  they  occur  as  originals,  and  as  the  result  of  intrusion  by 
intertribal  traffic  or  otherwise. 

The  wooden  tablet  represented  in  plate  33  is  reproduced  from 
Doctor  Stolpe's  monograph,  published  in  "Ymer,"3  and  illustrates  one 
characteristic  type  of  wood  carving  found  in  Polynesia,  or,  to  be  more 
exact  as  to  location,  in  the  Tubuai  Islands.  The  circles  are  rather 
infrequent,  but  the  triangular  decoration  is  more  common,  and  occurs 
upon  various  ceremonial  implements  and  weapons  in  various  forms  and 
combinations.  In  some  examples  the  designs  are  very  complicated 


.  Chron.,  new  series,  1880,  XX,  quoted  from  Madden's  Jewish  Coinage. 
2 Coins  of  the  .lews,  F.  W.  Madden,  London,  1881. 
;J  Stockholm,  1890,  fig.  16. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS. 


825 


and  elaborate,  while  in  other  instances,  as  upon  a  metal  surface,  the 
result  is  a  mere  zigzag,  the  result  of  using  a  narrow  graver,  and  as  it 
is  pushed  forward  the  tool  is  rotated  from  side  to  side. 

The  character  of  the  material  upon  which  decoration  is  attempted 
greatly  influences  the  artistic  result. 

Some  circles  from  eastern  Turkistan,  to  which  my  attention  was 
called  by  my  friend  Doctor  Walter  Hough,  of  the  National  Museum, 
resemble  almost  exactly  those  mentioned  by  Doctor  A.  B.  Meyer, 
who  presented  some  interesting  illustrations  of  shields  from  the  Bis 
marck  Archipelago  and  New  Guinea,  upon  some  of  which  are  several 
series  of  concentric  rings  (four)  while  some  are  nucleated  with  a  solid 
spot  and  three  surrounding  rings.1 

In  his  monograph  on  the  whirring  toy  or  u  bull-rorer,"  Doctor  J.  D. 
E.  Schmeltz2  presents  a  number  of  illustrations  from  various  localities, 
nearly  all  of  which  are  ornamented.  Two  specimens  from  West  Aus 
tralia  are  of  peculiar  interest,  from  the  fact  of  the  recurrence  of  two 
figures  shown  on  a  Eoman  lamp  from  Carthage  (plate  45,  p.  816).  The 


Fig.  38. 

GOLD  BOAT  FOUND  AT  NORS,  DENMARK. 

one  specimen  of  these  wooden  toys  is  ornamented  with  five  figures  of 
concentric  circles,  the  three  middle  ones  having  each  five  rings,  while 
the  flanking  or  end  figures  have  each  but  four  rings. 

The  other  toy  has  upon  one  side  three  figures  of  rectangles,  each 
figure  consisting  of  a  nest  of  five,  one  within  the  other,  as  in  the  con 
struction  of  concentric  rings.  At  either  end  are  short  curved  lines. 
Such  a  coincidence — as  it  can  be  nothing  more — is  truly  remarkable, 
especially  as  the  Australian  designs  are  not  in  exact  accordance  with 
the  usual  type  of  designs. 

The  district  of  Thisted,  Denmark,  contains  many  small  grave  mounds, 
from  some  of  which  unique  finds  have  been  obtained.  One  clay  vessel 
covered  with  a  flat  stone  contained  about  one  hundred  small  boats,  the 
ribs  and  sailing  of  which  are  made  of  bronze  bauds  bent  around  one 
another,  while  in  the  middle  of  these  lie  sheets  of  thin  plates  of  gold 
whose  corners  overlap  each  other  at  the  bottom  of  the  boat  and  are 
bent  around  the  bronze  bands  above,  covering  it.  In  the  same  manner 


1  Publicationen  aus  dem   Kongl.     Etlinog.  Museum  Dresden.     X.     1895.      Plate 
xvin,  figs.  3,  4,  and  5. 

2  Das  Schwirrholz.     Hamburg,  1896. 


826 

the  outside  covering  is  effected.1  Upon  the  side  of  the  boat  illustrated 
in  fig.  38  will  be  observed  two  figures  of  concentric  rings,  a  design  so 
frequently  met  with  in  the  prehistoric  relics  of  Scandinavia. 

A  wooden  dish,2  found  with  other  objects  in  a  funeral  ship,  bears  dec 
orations  consisting  of  concentric  rings  similar  to  the  preceding. 

Petroglyphs  in  abundance  representing  so-called  cup  stones,  nucle 
ated  circles,  and  concentric  circles  of  various  numbers  of  rings,  as  high 
as  five  and  six,  and  occasionally  even  more,  occur  throughout  northern 
Europe,  from  Ireland,  Scotland,  and  elsewhere  in  the  British  Isles, 
eastward  throughout  Scandinavia,  Finland,  and  Russia,  into  Siberia. 

In  a  petroglyph  at  Lokeberg,  in  Bohuslan,  Sweden,3  are  represented 
a  number  of  manned  A' iking  ships,  above  three  of  which  are  portrayed 
nucleated  rings,  several  of  which  are  attached  to  projections  connected 
with  the  vessel,  and  resembling  uplifted  banners  or  other  emblems.  In 
a  number  of  instances  are  small  spots  only,  without  the  surrounding 
circle.  These  circles  in  contact  with  vessels  resemble  very  much  the 
Eskimo  engraved  figures  on  the  rod  shown  in 
another  place  on  plate  G8,  fig.  6. 

Professor  Oscar  Montelius  figures  in  his  u  Kul- 
tur  Schwedens  in  Yorchristlicher  Zeit"  a  gold 
vase  nearly  3  inches  in  height  and  about  4 
inches  in  diameter,  about  the  body  of  which  are 
four  rows  of  concentric  circles.  The  upper  row, 
near  the  neck,  consists  of  such  raised  figures 
each  more  than  one-sixteenth  of  an  inch  in  di 
ameter,  while  the  row  a  short  distance  below 
F.  this  consists  of  rings  averaging  three- sixteenths 

8AMOYAD   ORIENT  OF  MKTAL.       °f    ^  ^^    ™™**'         ™™  ^  &*?****>  diailietOT 

of  the  vessel  is  another  row  of  raised  concentric 

rings,  the  outer  one  measuring  about  five-eighths  of  an  inch  across, 
while  the  circles  near  the  base,  and  extending  in  a  row  about  it,  are 
apparently  a  little  less  in  diameter. 

These  rows  of  circles  are  separated  by  longitudinal  raised  lines, 
between  some  of  which,  both  above  and  below  the  row  of  the  largest  cir 
cles,  are  short  vertical  lines  presenting  what  appears  like  a  milled  edge. 

This  style  of  ornament  is  very  general  and,  as  noted  elsewhere,  of 
widespread  occurrence. 

Mr.  Frederick  George  Jackson,  in  his  description  of  the  jewelry  of 
the  Samoyads,4  says  that  the  bonnet  is  adorned  with  tails  of  colored 


1  Quoted  from  Report  of  National  Museum  for  1891,  1892,  pp.  557,  558,  fig.  fi. 
(Prehistoric  Naval  Architecture,  Geo.  H.  Boehmer.) 

The  reader  is  referred  to  an  interesting  paper  011  Origins  of  Prehistoric  Ornament 
in  Ireland,  completed  in  Part  I  of  Vol.  VII,  of  the  Journal  of  the  Royal  Society  of 
Antiquaries  of  Ireland,  for  1807,  by  Mr.  George  Coffey. 

2  Report  of  the  United  States  National  Museum  for  1891.     1892,  p.  594,  fig.  108. 

3 Oscar  Montelius,  Die  Kultur  Schwedens  in  Vorchristlicher  Zeit,  Berlin,  1885,  p.  73. 
fig.  87. 

4  The  Great  Frozen  Land.     London,  1895,  p.  67. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1  895.  — Hoffman. 


PLATE  48. 


ORNAMENTED  IVORY  JEWELRY. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    48. 


10 


Fig.  1.  EAR  PENDANT. 

(Cat.  Xo.  36845,  V.  S.  X.  M.     Knskuiiuk.     (Collected  by  E.  VT.  Xelsou.) 

Fig.  2.  EAII  PKNDANT. 

(Cat.  No.  36846  [  ?],  V .  S.  X.  M .     Bi-  Lake,  Alaska.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Xelson.) 

Fig.  3.  EAR  PENDANT. 

(Cat.  Xo.  36845,  U.  S.  X.  M.     Kushkakwin  River.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Xelsou.) 

Fig.  4.  EAR  PENDANTS. 

(Cat.  Xo.  36839,  U.  S.  X.  M.     Lower  Kushkakwiu  River.     Collected  by  E.  "W.  Xelson.) 

Fig.  5.  EAR  PENDANT. 

(Cat.  Xo.  48742,  U.S.  X.M.     Yukon  River.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Xelson.)      * 

Figs.  6,  7.  EAR  PENDANTS. 

(Cat.  Xos.  36845,  30846.  U.  S.  N.  M.     Kuskunuk.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Xelsou.) 

Fig.  8.  EAR  PENDANT. 

(Cat.  Xo.  38416,  U.  S.  X.  M.     Big  Lake,  Alaska.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Xelson.) 

Fig.  9.  POWDER  CHARGER. 

(Cat,  No.  127460,  LT.  S.  X.  M.    Ikaluik.    Collected  by  J.  Apple^ate,  V.  S.  Signal  Corps.) 
Fig.  10.  EAR  PENDANT. 

(Cat.  No.  38169,  U.  S.  X.  M.    Xulukhtulu»umut.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Xel'son.) 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  827 

strips  of  cloth,  to  which  are  attached  "brass  disks  (about  3  inches  in 
diameter)  and  other  ornaments,  such  as  brass  charms,  beads,  and  but 
tons."  It  is  probable  that  these  materials  are  specially  made  in  Russia 
for  trade  with  the  natives  5  nevertheless  the  nucleated  circle  is  an 
important  feature  in  ornamentation  thereon,  the  metal  pendant,  of 
which  an  illustration  is  given  in  fig.  39,  being  not  only  very  similar  to 
the  prehistoric  ornaments  of  Scandinavia,  but  is  decorated  in  the  same 
manner. 

Mr.  Jackson  says  furthermore:  "  While  I  am  talking  about  Samoyad 
jewelry,  I  might  mention  the  vast  buckles  sometimes  used  to  fasten  the 
belt.  They  are  made  of  brass,  stamped  out  with  patterns,  and  are 
often  9  inches  in  diameter.  Of  brass,  too,  and  copper  are  tljeir  rings; 
and  they  even  wear  reindeer  bells,  each  weighing  at  least  half  a  pound, 
hanging  from  their  elbows.'7 

It  is  but  natural  to  suppose  that  native  art  is  thus  stimulated,  and 
influenced,  by  the  probable  introduction  of  materials  of  foreign  manu 
facture,  such  trinkets  being  gaudily  decorated  to  add  to  their  attract 
iveness  in  the  estimation  of  the  uncultured  natives. 

DECORATION   OF    PERSONAL   ORNAMENTS,    UTENSILS,    ETC. 

The  utilization  of  various  figures  to  apply  simply  for  ornamentation 
is  very  common,  and  is  of  later  date  than  the  incision  of  simple  lines 
and  dots.  The  animate  and  other  characters  do  not  seem  to  have  been 
used  in  any  aesthetic  manner  until  the  system  of  pictography  had  gained 
a  firm  foothold.  Numerous  examples  are  here  given  of  simple  decora 
tion  of  drill  bows,  for  which  no  other  record  was  ready,  and  of  the 
various  styles  of  decorating  articles  of  primitive  jewelry  or  personal 
ornaments,  and  other  objects  of  daily  use. 

The  following  list  comprises  a  number  of  selections  to  illustrate  the 
various  methods  of  decorating  articles  of  personal  use  or  adornment, 
utensils  of  daily  use,  and  other  objects. 

A  number  of  ear  pendants  are  represented  in  plate  48,  figs.  1-8  and 
10.  The  chief  interest  lies  in  the  variety  of  ornamentation,  consisting 
of  drill  holes,  circles,  concentric  rings,  and  in  one  instance  serrations 
are  attached  to  the  circles. 

The  cup- shaped  specimen  shown  in  fig.  9  is  a  powder  charge,  orna 
mented  with  conventionalized  figures  of  flowers,  fruit,  etc.,  to  which 
special  attention  is  given  in  connection  with  conventionalization. 

Plate  32,  fig.  1,  represents  ear  pendants  made  of  beluga  teeth.  They 
were  obtained  at  St.  Michaels,  and  are  ornamented  with  the  zigzag 
pattern  frequently  alluded  to  as  the  "fish  trap"  pattern.  This  pattern 
is  quite  neatly  made  and  presents  an  unusually  pleasing  effect.  Upon 
the  bare  space  between  the  two  transverse  rows  of  ornamentation  is 
incised  a  small  cross — a  figure  quite  unusual  in  Eskimo  art. 

Plate  32,  fig.  2,  represents  a  buckle  or  ornament  used  by  girls  in 
securing  the  hair.  The  decoration  represents  a  face,  the  eyes  being 


828  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

indicated  by  sharply  incised  lines,  while  the  pupils  are  perforations 
made  with  a  drill.  The  nostrils  are  also  indicated  with  delicate  per 
forations,  and  the  teeth  are  well  defined.  The  lips  are  also  well  defined 
by  means  of  transverse  lines  representing  the  gums  and  the  edges  of  the 
teeth,  while  the  other  lines  drawn  vertically  denote  the  spaces  between 
the  teeth. 

Plate  32,  fig.  4,  represents  a  comb  from  Cape  Prince  of  Wales.  This 
is  of  peculiar  interest  from  the  fact  that  it  exactly  represents  in  outline 
specimens  from  Torres  Strait.  The  ornamentation  resembles  Papuan 
art  designs,  and  also  the  peculiar  meander  or  zigzag  pattern  referred 
to  in  plate  33. 

On  the  inner  space  are  three  ornaments  which  represent  the  conven 
tional  tree  symbols.  Tbe  specimen  is  an  old  one,  as  may  be  observed 
from  its  past  usage  and  discoloration.  The  teeth  are  broken  and  appear 
to  have  been  short.  They  were  no  doubt  made  by  sawing  with  instru 
ments  such  as  are  shown  in  plate  17. 

Plate  49,  fig.  4,  represents  a  pair  of  earrings  secured  in  a  stick.  Upon 
the  front  are  ornamental  incisions  representing  concentric  rings,  from 
four  sides  of  which  extend  short  lines  terminating  in  perforations.  In 
one  of  these,  however,  the  short  connecting  lines  were  not  inserted — 
this  part  of  the  operation  having  evidently  been  neglected. 

Upon  the  reverse  are  short  projections  which  are  carved  so  as  to 
curve  downward,  forming  an  T-shaped  hook  for  insertion  in  the  lobe  of 
the  ear. 

Plate  49,  fig.  5,  shows  a  similar  stick  with  wrapping  so  as  to  secure 
a  number  of  earrings  which  have  been  inserted,  and  in  which  manner 
they  are  transferred  from  place  to  place  for  sale  or  for  barter. 

Plate  50  represents  a  series  of  carved  ivory  belt  buttons  and  pend 
ants,  as  well  as  two  spear  guards  for  attachment  to  a  canoe.  On  fig.  1 
is  shown  the  crude  meander  or  zigzag  so  frequently  referred  to.  Upon 
the  outer  surface  of  these  figures  appear  small  tridents  which  represent 
trees,  or  rather  they  may  be  termed  the  conventional  ornamental  figure 
evolved  from  the  tree  figure  or  tree  design.  A  simple  meander  or 
triangle  is  shown  upon  the  button  in  plate  50,  fig.  2,  in  which,  it  will 
be  observed,  the  meander  is  produced  by  the  interdigitation  of  short 
lines  attached  to  the  parallel  lines  within  which  the  meander  crosses. 

Figs.  3,  4,  and  6  have  circles  with  various  decorations,  that  upon  fig. 
4  being  perhaps  the  flower  symbol,  described  elsewhere  in  detail. 

The  ivory  button  shown  in  fig.  5  is  decorated  by  simple  perforations, 
each  of  which  is  filled  with  a  wooden  peg,  the  arrangement  of  the 
perforations  being  regular  and  symmetrical. 

Plate  51  illustrates  six  forms  of  bone  belt  fasteners  or  toggles.  The 
specimen  shown  in  fig.  1  was  collected  by  Mr.  L.  M.  Turner  at  Norton 
Sound,  and  measures  2J  inches  across.  Within  the  upper  and  lower 
margins  are  five  horizontal  incised  lines,  while  along  the  vertical  edge 
there  are  but  four  each.  Upon  the  inner  line  and  directed  inward  are 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    49. 


Fig   1.  IVORY  IMPLEMENT. 

(Cat.  No.  37664,  V.  S.  X.  M.     Konigunogimmt.     Collected  by  E.  "W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  2.  IVORY  IMPLEMENT. 

(Cat.  No.  29618,  U.  S.  N.  M.) 

Fig.  3.  NET  SHUTTLE. 

(Cat.  No.  35908,  U.  S.  N.  M.    Aleutian  Islands.     Collected  by  L.  M.  Turner.) 

Fig.  4.  EARRINGS  IN  WOODEN  HOLDER. 

(Cat.  No.  36861,  U.S.  N.M.     Askenuk.     Collected  by  E.W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  5.  EARRINGS  IN  WOODEN  HOLDER. 

(Cat.  No.  36011,  U.  S.  N.  M.    Agaiyukchugumut.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  6.  IVORY  ORNAMENT  FOR  ALEUT  HAT. 

(Cat.  No.  38720,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,   1895. Hoffman. 


PLATE  49. 


DECORATED  ORNAMENTS  AND  UTENSILS.' *  "  " 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    50- 


Fig.  1.  CARVED  BELT  FASTENER. 

(Cat.  Xo.  38567,  U.  S.  IS".  M.     Mouth  of  Lower  Yukon  River.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 
Fig.  2.  CARVED  BELT  BUTTON. 

(Cat.  Xo.  33633,  U.  S.  X.  M.      St.  Michaels.      Collected  by  E.  W.  Xelson.) 

Fig.  3.  BELT  BUTTON. 

(Cat.  No.  38003,  U.  S.  X.  M.      Chalitmut.      Collected  by  E.  W.  Xelson.) 

Fig.  4.  BKLT  BUTTON. 

(Cat.  Xo.  37761,  U.  S.  X.  M.     Kongigunogninut.      Collected  by  E  W.  Xelson.) 

Fig.  5.  BUTTON. 

(Cat.  Xo.  48630,  U.  S.  X.  M.      Kotzebue  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Xelson.) 

Fig.  6.  BELT  ORNAMENT. 

(Cat.  Xo.  38152,  U.  S.  X.  M.     Lower  Yukon.      Collected  by  E.  W.  Xelson.) 

Fig.  7.  SPEAR  GUARD  FOR  KAIAK. 

(Cat.  Xo.  35983,  U.  S.  X.  M.      "  Sfugunugumut."     Collected  by  E.  "W.  Xelson.) 

Fig.  8.  SPEAR  GUARD. 

(Cat.  Xo.  43536,  V.  S.  X.  M.      Cape  Vancouver.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Xelson.) 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,   1  895.— Hoffrran. 


PLATE  50. 


IVORY  BUCKLES  AND  PENDANTS. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    51. 


Collected  by  L.  M.  Turner.) 


Fig.  1.  BELT  FASTENER,  TOGGLE  OR  BUCKLE. 

(Cat.  No.  24G64,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Norton  Sound. 

Fig.  2.  BELT  FASTENER,  TOGGLE  OR  BUCKLE. 

(Cat.  No.  2461(5,  F.  S.  N.  M.     Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  L.  M.  Turner.) 

Fig.  3.  BELT  FASTENER,  TOGGLE  OR  BUCKLE. 

(Cat.  Xo.  24612,  TJ.  S.  N.  M.     Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  L.  M.  Turner.) 

Fig.  4.  BELT  FASTENER,  TOGGLE  OR  BUCKLE. 

(Cat.  No.  37992,  F.  S.  N.  M.     Pinuit.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  5.  BELT  FASTENER,  TOGGLE  OR  BUCKLE. 

(Cat.  No.  246C3,  U.  S.  N.  H.     Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  6.  BELT  FASTENER,  TOGGLE  OR  BUCKLE. 

(Cat.  No.  5622,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Premorska.     Collected  by  W.  H.  Ball.) 


Report  of   U.  S.  National  Museum,  1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  51 


IVORY  BUCKLES  OR  TOGGLES. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  52. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  829 

short  incisions,  eack  one-sixteenth  of  an  inch  in  length.  Surrounding 
the  central  perforation  is  a  quadrilateral  figure  conforming  to  the  out 
line  of  the  ornament,  consisting  of  three  incised  lines  one-sixteenth  of 
an  inch  apart.  Upon  the  inner  sides  of  the  square  are  similar  short 
lines  directed  upward  toward  the  interior,  as  upon  the  inner  line  of  the 
outer  square. 

In  plate  51,  fig.  2,  also  from  Norton  Sound,  the  ornamentation  con 
sists  of  eight  lines  running  parallel  with  the  four  outer  borders,  the 
interior  space  about  the  central  perforation  being  blank. 

In  plate  51,  fig.  3,  also  from  Norton  Sound,  the  ornamentation  becomes 
a  little  more  complex.  The  two  sets  of  parallel  lines  around  the  inte 
rior  form  a  square.  Within  each  set  of  lines  thus  drawn  are  markings 
so  placed  as  to  form  a  crude  zigzag  resulting  from  the  short  lines  pro 
jecting  alternately  outward  and  inward  by  a  process  resembling  what 
might  be  termed  interdigitation.  This  has  some  resemblance  to  or  sug 
gests  the  Papuan  patterns,  to  which  reference  is  made  elsewhere.  The 
interior  space  about  the  central  perforation  is  ornamented  by  two  lines 
forming  a  cross. 

In  plate  51,  fig.  4,  there  is  shown  a  buckle  from  Pinuit,  Alaska,  and 
both  lines  and  dots  are  employed  in  ornamenting  the  surface.  The 
squares  are  present  as  in  the  preceding  record,  while  small  perforations 
occupy  the  space  between  the  groups  of  lines. 

In  plate  51,  fig.  5,  from  Norton  Sound,  the  outer  border  consists  of 
two  decorated  figures,  while  surrounding  the  central  perforation  are  six 
concentric  rings,  four  short  lines  diverging  from  the  outer  ring  toward 
the  outer  angles  of  the  ornament.  From  the  inner  angle  of  the  inner 
quadrilateral  figure  are  four  short  lines,  each  terminating  in  a  V-shaped 
figure,  or  bifurcation,  rudely  resembling  the  conventionalized  whale  tail, 
though  in  this  instance  more  likely  denoting  a  tree,  as  it  also  represents 
a  conventionalized  tree  figure. 

In  plate  51,  fig.  6,  from  Prernorska  two  series  of  lines  are  drawn,  with 
the  difference,  however,  that  instead  of  bearing  additional  ornamenta 
tion  between  the  two  quadrilateral  figures  the  ornamentation  consists 
of  nucleated  circles,  three  upon  each  side,  while  within  the  inner 
square  and  surrounding  the  central  perforation  are  three  concentric 
rings.  The  space  beyond  the  outer  ring  and  the  angle  of  the  inner 
square  is  filled  with  small  figures  consisting  of  a  spot  surrounded  by 
two  concentric  rings. 

Upon  plate  52  are  shown  thirteen  figures  of  needle  cases  or  snuff 
tubes,  upon  which  are  shown  various  styles  of  ornamentation.  The 
specimen  at  the  extreme  left,  from  the  Lower  Yukon,  is  octagonal, 
while  the  next  shows  a  series  of  rings  produced  by  filing,  as  in  the 
fourth  figure,  and  to  a  certain  extent  in  the  last.  The  encircling  hands 
upon  figs.  5,  6,  7,  8,  and  9  illustrate  in  various  ways  the  rudimentary 
forms  or  originals  from  which  have  developed  that  peculiar  meander 
or  zigzag  to  which  reference  is  made  in  various  places  and  in  various 


830  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895 

connections,  and  which  has  been  compared  to  a  certain  degree  with 
the  Papuan  ornamentation  referred  to  by  Mr.  Alfred  C.  Haddou. 
Upon  the  two  figures  at  the  right  hand  are  a  series  of  small,  nucleated 
rings,  and  particularly  in  fig.  12  are  shown  several  instances  in  which 
these  rings  are  surrounded  by  radiating  lines,  a  bottom  line  extending 
to  a  transverse  base  line  or  attached  to  another  nucleated  circle  of  like 
form.  These  may  be  related  to  the  flower  symbols,  to  which  Mr. 
Lucien  M.  Turner  makes  reference  in  the  letter  which  I  have  quoted. 

Plate  35,  fig.  9,  shows  a  tobacco  box  from  Sledge  Island.  It  is  a  rude 
imitation  of  a  seal,  a  small  opening  being  cut  in  the  neck,  while  the 
rear  end  was  at  one  time  undoubtedly  closed  by  means  of  a  wooden 
plug.  The  ornamentation  throughout  consists  of  parallel  lines  between 
which  the  incisions  of  short  transverse  lines  are  so  arranged  as  to  indi 
cate  the  rude  meander  or  zigzag  pattern.  Upon  the  back  are  several 
conventional  tree  patterns. 

Plate  25,  fig.  1,  represents  an  ivory  casket  from  St.  Michaels.  It  is 
made  of  the  upper  hollow  portion  of  a  walrus  tusk  and  is  very  pro 
fusely  illustrated  with  the  zigzag  pattern,  borders  of  which  encircle 
the  specimen  both  above  and  below,  while  around  the  center  is  an 
almost  continuous  pattern  of  six  nucleated  circles,  each  connected 
with  the  other  by  means  of  continuous  strips  or  zigzag  ornamentation. 
Between  the  two  outer  rims  of  each  of  these  ornaments  we  find  the 
fish  trap  pattern,  in  some  the  plain  zigzag,  in  another  short  transverse 
lines,  etc.,  showing  various  degrees  of  ornamentation  of  the  same  gen 
eral  type.  Radiating  from  the  outer  circles  of  all  the  specimens  are 
short  vertical  lines  at  four  opposite  points,  in  imitation  of  the  flower 
symbol.  On  the  remaining  spaces  between  this  central  ornamentation 
and  the  two  outer  margins  are  rows  of  small  circles  similarly  orna 
mented  within  by  concentric  rings  and  upon  the  outside  by  radiating 
lines. 

The  round  box  illustrated  in  plate  34,  fig.  3,  is  from  Norton  Sound. 
This  was  used  for  holding  fishing  tackle.  The  top  and  bottom  are 
made  of  wood,  while  the  circular  band  is  made  of  a  flat  piece  of  rein 
deer  horn  securely  lashed  together  at  the  joints  by  means  of  two  iron 
and  one  copper  clasp  attached  longitudinally.  The  surface  of  this 
band  of  horn  is  very  neatly  ornamented  around  the  upper  portion  in 
zigzag  pattern,  while  the  corresponding  border  below  has  been  left 
plain.  Between  these  two  borders,  however,  are  a  series  of  figures  of 
concentric  circles  very  neatly  incised  and  arranged  alternately,  first  a 
large  circle,  then  two  small  ones.  Each  of  these  figures  is  furthermore 
ornamented  by  four  radiating  lines  resembling  the  flower  symbol, 
although  from  the  great  number  of  concentric  circles  within  it  there 
is  suggested  rather  the  idea  of  the  symbol  used  to  denote  the  nests 
of  kantags  or  wooden  buckets  obtained  by  barter  from  the  Chukchi  of 
the  Asiatic  side. 

Plate  35,  fig.  5,  represents   a   bone   "  mouthpiece7'   from   Diomede 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  831 

Island.  The  ornamentation  upon  this  is  rude  and  deeply  incised,  con 
sisting1  of  a  base  line  of  two  parallel  incisions,  between  Avhich  is  the 
rude  meander  or  zigzag,  to  the  top  of  which  are  incised  at  regular  inter 
vals  trident  figures  representing  the  conventional  tree  symbol.  Simi 
lar  incisions  and  markings  appear  also  upon  a  larger  specimen  from 
the  same  locality,  shown  in  fig.  7. 

Plate  32,  fig.  5,  shows  a  specimen  without  any  indication  to  mark  the 
locality  from  which  it  was  obtained,  although  from  its  association  with 
the  collections  from  Alaska  it  may  be  inferred  that  it  was  made  by  some 
one  of  the  native  tribes,  very  likely  the  southern  or  southeastern 
natives,  who  have  intermarried  with  the  Thlingit,  or  possibly  the  Thlin- 
git  themselves,  although  the  carving  very  greatly  resembles  that  copied 
after  the  work  of  the  Haida.  In  almost  any  position  in  which  the 
specimen  may  be  held  faces  appear.  Upon  the  lower  side  is  the  repre 
sentation  of  a  face  the  expression  of  which  is  exactly  like  that  in  fig.  3, 
while  the  front  or  rounded  portion  of  the  ornament  shows  a  perfect 
snake's  head,  though  this  was  probably  intended  to  represent  a  seal. 
The  ornament  appears  to  have  been  used  for  attachment  to  the  end  of 
a  cord,  probably  in  harness  or  on  some  weapon. 

Plate  13  represents  three  figures  of  bone  seine  shuttles  or  handles 
from  the  Yukon  River.  The  ornamentation  upon  fig.  1  is  very  simple. 
It  consists  of  diagonal  lines  between  two  horizontal  ones,  with  the 
exception  of  a  small  space  about  the  upper  third,  where  half  a  dozen 
lines  cross  at  the  opposite  angle.  Upon  fig.  2  the  lines  are  closer 
together,  and  in  the  lower  figure  very  short  lines  are  attached  so 
as  to  extend  at  right  angles  from  their  respective  base  lines.  These 
are  of  that  primary  type  forming  the  base  of  the  "fish  weir"  or  "fish 
trap"  pattern.,  which  in  turn  forms  the  base  of  the  rude  angular  mean 
der  and  ultimately  of  the  zigzag,  to  which  reference  is  made  elsewhere. 

In  fig.  3  the  ornamentation  consists  first  of  two  horizontal  parallel 
lines  extending  along  each  outer  border.  Between  each  pair  of  lines 
are  short  lines  forming  zigzags.  The  interior  spaces  are  filled  with 
other  patterns.  At  the  upper  end  is  an  animal,  apparently  represent 
ing  a  wolf,  with  the  life  line  upon  the  body,  while  at  the  lower  extremity 
is  the  outline  of  a  beaver.  At  the  two  small  triangles  formed  by  the 
cross  lines  at  the  middle  of  the  specimen  are  two  small  trees,  simply 
decorative,  and  intended  to  fill  the  blank  space. 

Plate  49,  fig.  3,  represents  a  very  beautiful  net  shuttle  obtained  in 
the  Aleutian  Islands  by  Mr.  L.  M.  Turner.  The  only  ornament  of  any 
consequence  on  this  represents  a  figure  of  concentric  rings,  from  which 
radiate  eight  delicate  lines.  This  is  probably  a  highly  conventionalized 
figure  of  the  flower  symbol,  though  in  the  pictography  of  the  Ojibwa  and 
some  of  the  Shoshonian  tribes  it  would  denote  the  symbol  of  the  sun. 

The  superiority  of  the  workmanship  is  apparent,  and  is  character 
istic  of  that  of  the  southern  Alaska,  or  rather  the  Aleutian,  natives. 

Plate  23,  fig.  1,  represents  a  reel  for  sinew  for  small  nets,  obtained 


832  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

at  Cape  Vancouver,  Alaska,  by  Mr.  B.  W.  Nelson.  The  specimen  is 
made  of  bone,  and  is  decorated  with  incised  lines  extending  from  point 
to  point  along  either  edge,  with  interior  markings  of  short  lines,  as 
shown  on  the  specimen. 

Plate  23,  fig.  4,  represents  a  fishing  implement  made  of  reindeer  horn. 
It  is  slightly  curved  and  forked  at  either  end,  three  of  the  four  ends 
terminating  in  heads,  probably  that  of  the  seal.  The  chief  decoration 
consists  of  a  median  line  extending  from  end  to  end,  to  which  are 
attached  several  pairs  of  characters  representing  the  herring  bone 
pattern,  though  with  the  addition  of  short  outer  lines. 

The  perforation  visible  in  the  center  is  intended  for  holding  a  drill. 

Plate  35,  figs.  1,  2,  and  3,  represents  small  ivory  thimble  holders  or 
guards.  The  ornamentation  upon  these  is  different,  that  upon  fig.  1 
and  fig.  2  consisting,  respectively,  of  simple  borings  or  depressions  and 
concentric  rings,  while  upon  fig.  3  appears  a  continuous  line,  to  which 
are  attached  several  pairs  of  short  oblique  radiating  lines,  as  in  plate 
29,  fig.  1. 

Plate  35,  fig.  4,  represents  a  seine  thimble  holder  from  Kushunuk. 
This  is  a  rude  outline  of  a  seal  with  the  young  placed  transversely  to 
its  back,  while  the  ornamentation  consists  of  several  sizes  of  concentric 
rings,  two  of  which  show  radiating  lines  attached  to  the  outer  surface. 

Plate  35,  fig.  6,  represents  a  thimble  guard  from  Unalakleet.  The 
ornamentation  upon  this  is  in  imitation  of  that  from  the  Northwest 
Coast  northward  from  Kotzebue  Sound,  and  consists  almost  exclusively 
of  various  patterns  of  the  zigzag  or  meander  design. 

Plate  23,  fig.  3,  is  marked  in  the  catalogue  as  a  bone  grass  comb,  from 
Kotzebue  Sound.  Mr.  Murdoch,  who  has  examined  the  specimen  in 
my  presence,  believes  it  to  be  simply  an  ordinary  comfy  for  personal 
use.  The  ornamentation  is  divided  into  two  panels,  separated  by  four 
parallel  transverse  lines,  each  about  one-eighth  of  an  inch  from  the 
other.  Short  lines,  placed  closely  side  by  side,  radiate  from  the  inner 
lines  toward  the  outer.  These  inner  lines  with  short  radiating  lines  are 
reproduced  at  either  end  of  the  specimen.  Reference  to  the  illustra 
tion  will  more  clearly  represent  this.  In  the  upper  panel  is  the  por 
trayal  of  a  whale,  with  some  other  lines  probably  intended  to  denote 
whales,  but  the  figures  were  not  completed.  There  is  also  a  depression, 
which  was  used  for  the  insertion  of  the  top  of  a  drill.  The  lower  panel 
contains  several  pairs  of  parallel  lines,  between  which  is  the  rude  out 
line  of  a  steamboat  representing  a  revenue  cutter. 

Plate  49,  figs.  1  and  2,  represents  ivory  implements,  probably  used  in 
connection  with  harness.  The  former  is  decorated  with  a  series  of 
nucleated  rings,  all  of  one  size  and  apparently  made  with  the  same 
instrument,  while  on  the  latter  the  rings  are  replaced  by  simple  per 
forations,  some  of  which  are  about  one-eighth  of  an  inch  in  depth  and 
were  subsequently  filled  with  a  hard  gummy  substance.  The  most  of 
them  have  now  become  emptied  of  this  material. 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS. 


833 


The  representation  of  the  two  snow  shovels,  tig.  40  a  and  fr,  is  to 
indicate  the  manner  of  attaching  the  ivory  cutting  edges  upon  which 
some  of  the  engravings  described  are  found.  The  wooden  portion  is 
generally  made  of  spruce ;  the  several  pieces  comprising  the  shovel,  as 
above  shown,  are  secured  together  by  means  of  sinew  braid.  They  are 
used  for  all  kinds  of  shoveling  in  the  snow,  and  sometimes  for  excavat 
ing  in  snowdrifts,  for  making  pitfalls  for  game,  etc.  The  edge  of  the 
wood  is  fitted  with  a  tongue  into  a  groove  in  the  top  of  the  ivory  edge, 
which  is  1J  inches  deep.  It  is  fastened  on  by  wooden  treenails  at 


Fig.  40. 

SNOW  SHOVELS. 


irregular  intervals,  and  at  one  end,  where  the  edge  of  the  groove  has 
been  broken,  by  a  stitch  of  black  whalebone.  *  *  *  The  whippings 
of  sinew  braid  on  the  handle  are  to  give  a  firm  grip  for  the  hands.1 

Fig.  41  is  a  fanciful  object  "  made  solely  for  the  market."  The  speci 
men  measures  2.6  inches  in  length,  and  is  made  of  an  ivory  head  fitted 
into  a  handle  of  wood  painted  red.  "The  head  was  called  a  'dog,'  but 
it  looks  more  like  a  bear.  Small  bits  of  wood  are  inlaid  for  the  eyes, 
and  the  outline  of  the  mouth  is  deeply  incised  and  colored  with  red 
ocher,  having  bits  of  white  ivory  inlaid  to  represent  the  canine  teeth. 

'Ninth  Annual  Report,  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  1887-88.     1892,  p.  306,  fig.  386,  a  and  b. 
NAT  MUS  95 53 


834 


REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 


The  ears,  nostrils,  vebrissa?,  and  hairs  on  the  muzzle  are  indicated  by 
blackened  incisions.  There  is  an  ornamented  collar  round  the  neck,  to 
which  is  joined  a  conventional  pattern  of  triangular  form  on  the  throat 
and  a  somewhat  similar  pattern  on  the  to^  of  the  head  between  the 


ears. 


Ornamentation  of  utensils  is  carried  on  to  an  almost  unlimited  degree, 
and  the  simple  nucleated  circle  occurs  very  frequently,  in  fact  in  pre 
ference,  in  some  portions  of  Alaska,  to  the  arrowhead  and  herringbone 
designs. 


Fig.  41. 

DECORATED  IV'QRY  CARVING. 
Point  Barrow. 

From  Point  Barrow  we  have  a  twister  for  working  the  sinew  backing 
on  bows,  upon  one  side  of  which  is  a  row  of  conspicuous  nucleated 
rings.1  The  specimen  is  of  ivory,  and  measures  5.4  inches  long.  It  is 
one  of  a  pair,  as  two  pieces  constitute  a  set. 

In  fig.  43  is  represented  a  good  example  of  a  native  dipper  made  of 
fossil  ivory.  The  decoration  along  the  top  of  the  straight  Hat  handle 
and  around  the  upper  part  of  the  outside  of  the  bowl  consists  of 
nucleated  circles.  These  were  originally  colored  with  red  ocher,  but 
are  filled  with  dirt,  while  those  upon  the  handle  are,  to  a  great  extent, 
almost  eifaced  by  wear. 


Fig.  42. 

TWISTER  FOR  WORKING    SINEW  BACKING  OF  BOW. 

Upon  fig.  44,  representing  a  knife  with  a  handle  made  of  reindeer 
antler,  occur  a  number  of  lines  of  nucleated  circles  connected  by  short 
lines.  The  ornamentation  extends  horizontally  along  the  top  and  sides, 
the  incisions  having  originally  been  colored  with  red  ocher,  but  at 
present  contain  more  dirt  than  ocher.2 


1  Ninth  Annual  Report  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  1887-88. 

2  Idem,  p.  173,  figs.  113  and  114. 


1892.     p.  292,  fig.  286. 


Report  of  U.  S    National  Museum,  1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  53. 


Y 


DECORATED  HUNTING  HAT.    KATMAI  ISLAND,  ALASKA. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OP    THE    ESKIMOS. 


835 


Another  interesting  specimen  of  workmanship,  bearing  ornamenta 
tion  of  the  same  character  as  the  preceding,  is  shown  in  fig.  45,  and 
consists  of  a  chisel.  The  small  blade  has  an  oblique  tip,  not  beveled 
to  an  edge,  and  is  hafted  in  walrus  ivory,  yellow  from  age.  The 
nucleated  rings  are  colored  with  red  ocher,  and  the  two  halves  of  the 
handle  are  fastened  together  by  a  stout  wooden  treenail  and  a  stitch  of 
whaiebone.1 


Fig.  43. 
DIPPEE  OF  FOSSIL  IVORY.2 

The  accompanying  illustration  of  the  foreshaft  of  a  seal  dart,  fig.  46, 
is  given,  reproduced  from  the  report  on  the  natives  of  Point  Barrow.3 
The  ornamentation  is  confined  almost  wholly  to  the  nucleated  circles, 
the  only  animate  object  portrayed  being  a  deer.  It  is  said  that  some 
of  these  shafts  are  highly  ornamented,  the  figures  being  all  incised 
and  colored,  some  with  ocher  and  some  with  soot. 

The  specimen  shown  on  plate  53  represents  a  decorated  hunting  hat 
from  Katmai  Island,  Cooks  Inlet,  Alaska,  and  was  collected  by  Mr. 
W.  J.  Fisher. 


Fig.  44. 

LARGE   KNIFE  WITH  ORNAMENTED  HANDLE. 

This  variety  of  head  covering  is  common  to  the  natives  of  the  islands 
of  Kadiak  and  those  occupied  by  the  Aleuts.  This  specimen  is  made 
of  wood  shaved  down  until  the  average  thickness  is  only  about  one- 
fourth  of  an  inch,  \vhile  the  height  along  the  front,  from  the  top  to  the 
bottom  of  the  visor,  is  9|^  inches.  The  color  in  chief  is  of  white;  the 
horizontal  band  about  the  bottom,  flesh  color;  the  remaining  vertical 
stripes  in  front  and  about  the  top,  and  downward  through  the  cresceut- 


1  Ninth  Annual  Report  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  1887-88.     1892,  p.  173,  iigs.  113  and  114. 

2  Idem,  fig.  42,  p.  103. 

3  Idem,  p.  217,  fig.  204. 


836 


REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 


like  figure,  black.     The  interior  spaces  between  the  black  lines  just 
named  are  filled  in  with  dark  or  dirty  vermilion. 

Beads  of  dark  blue,  black,  and  white  constitute  portions  of  the 
decorations,  while  the  projecting  lines  denote  the  application  of  sea- 
lioii  bristles,  over  several  of  which  beads  have  been  slipped. 

The  chief  purpose  of  here  representing  the  specimen  is  to  show  the 
place  of  attaching  the  decorated  bone  ornaments  illus 
trated  011  plate  52.  The  strips  of  bone  are  but  one-eighth 
of  an  inch  in  thickness,  yet  there  are  a  number  of  per 
forations  along  the  top  curve  and  outer  edge,  in  which 
were  inserted  bristles  secured  by  small  wooden  pegs. 

The  ornamental  slab  of  bone  attached  to  the  right 
side  of  the  hat  is  decorated  with  oblique  grooves,  about 
one-half  an  inch  apart,  between  which  are 
rows  of  dots  or  complete  perforations. 

Upon  the  left  side  of  the  hat  the  bone 
slab  was  split  from  near  the  top  to  the  bot 
tom,  while  the  diagonal  grooves  were  util 
ized  to  carry  threads  beneath  the  level 
of  the  outer  surface  to  hold  together  the 
pieces  from  completely  separating. 

Upon  the  upper  part  of  the  back  of  the 
hat  are  two  arrowheaded  ornaments,  each 
If  inches  in  length  and  projecting  at  right 
angles  from  the  wooden  base,  each  being  decorated  with 
nucleated  rings,  those  on  the  central  rows  of  four  each 
measuring  three-sixteenths  inch  in  diameter,  while  the 
outer  rows  of  three  rings  each  are  but  one-eighth  of  an 
inch  each. 

The  two  ends  of  the  piece  of  which  the  hat  is  made  are 
held  together  by  means  of  a  piece  of  wood  5£  inches  long 
and  less  than  an  inch  in  width,  placed  horizontally  at 
the  back  and  bearing  perforations  along  the  central  line, 
through  which  a  sea  lion's  whisker  has  been  passed  in 
imitation  of  stitching,  thus  securing  the  ends  with  a  per- 
fectness  to  almost  resemble  a  continuous  pi^ce  of  wood. 

The  decorations  vary  according  to  the  owner's  skill  and 
taste,  and  are  used  in  canoe  trips  to  protect  the  eyes  from 
the  glare  of  light  and  to  permit  more  intent  gazing  for 
the  marine  animals  sought. 

In  plate  54  are  three  examples  of  Eskimo  bone  carv 
ing,  the  outer  ones  being  charms  and  ornaments  for  attachment  to  the 
hunting  hats,  an  illustration  of  which,  together  with  the  method  of 
attachment,  is  shown  in  plate  53. 

The  specimen  at  the  left  of  the  plate,  as  viewed  by  the  reader,  was 
collected  by  Mr.  E.  W.  Nelson  at  Shaktolik.  It  is  of  bone,  and  is  deco- 


Ki 


CHISEL,    WITH     DECO 
RATED  HANDLE. 


0 


Fig.  -16. 
SEAL  DART. 


e 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    54. 


2      3 


Fig.  1.  HAT  ORNAMENT. 

(Cat.  No.  24703,  V.  S.  X.  M.     St.  Michaels.      Collected  by  L.  M.  Turner.) 

Fig.  2.  HAT  ORNAMENT. 

(Cat.  No.  5604,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Premorska,  Yukon  River.     Collected  by  Thomas  Dennison. 

Fig.  3.  HAT  ORNAMENT. 

(Cat.  No.  43808,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Shaktolik.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 


Report  of  U    S.  National  Museum,  1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  54. 


v 

S 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  837 

rated  witli  three  round  pieces  connected  above  and  below  by  permit 
ting  the  original  bone  to  remain  intact  while  the  intervening  portions 
were  removed.  The  disks  are  each  ornamented  with  five  nucleated 
circles,  the  central  spots  being  perforations  of  uniform  diameter. 
Among  these  rings  are  three  incised  lines,  darkened  by  dirt. 

The  specimen  at  the  right  side  of  the  plate  is  from  St.  Michaels, 
Norton  Sound,  and  was  collected  by  Mr.  L.  M.  Turner.  The  specimen 
is  also  of  bone,  and  the  decorations  are  alike  on  either  side.  This  also 
is  a  charm  for  use  on  hunting  hats. 

The  specimen  in  the  center  of  the  plate  is  of  thin  strip  of  bone,  to 
be  used  for  a  similar  purpose  as  the  two  preceding  in  ornamenting 
hunting  hats.  The  specimen  is  marked  "  National  Museum,  No.  5604, 
Premorska,  Yukon  lliver,"  and  was  collected  by  Thomas  Dennison. 
The  nucleated  circles  upon  the  specimen  have  running  upward  straight 
lines,  bifurcated  at  the  top  in  imitation  of  one  variety  of  the  tree  sym 
bol,  while  midway  between  the  top  and  bottom  are  like  projecting  lines 
as  at  the  top.  At  the  lower  extremity  of  the  specimen  is  a  simple  form 
of  decoration,  consisting  of  a  horizontal  line  from  which  short  lines  are 
projecting. 

Plate  7  represents  three  forms  of  ivory  arrow  and  spear  straighten- 
ers  from  three  different  localities  and  bearing  different  forms  of  decora 
tion.  The  specimen  at  the  left  side  of  the  plate  was  collected  by  Mr. 
E.  W.  Nelson  at  Diomede  Islands,  a  locality  occupying  a  position  mid 
way  between  the  American  and  Asiatic  continents.  It  measures  8J 
inches  in  extreme  length.  1J  inches  across  the  widest  part,  and  has  an 
average  thickness  of  five-eighths  of  an  inch.  The  perforation  with 
which  the  weapons  to  be  straightened  are  held  is  at  an  angle  of  almost 
45  degrees,  as  compared  with  the  plane  of  length  of  the  piece. 

The  rear  or  convex  part  is  plain,  but  upon  the  slightly  concave  front 
is  an  engraving  of  a  reindeer.  The  lines  seem  to  be  partly  filled  in 
with  dirt,  the  result  of  use,  and  not  with  black  coloring  matter  placed 
there  with  intention  to  intensify  the  sketch. 

The  slight  depression  which  appears  lower  down  upon  the  handle  is 
intended  to  be  used  in  drilling,  the  top  of  the  drill  being  held  vertical 
by  being  inserted  in  the  cavity,  while  the  opposite  end  may  be  intended 
for  drilling  holes,  or  for  fire  making. 

Another  specimen  is  that  at  the  right,  also  collected  by  Mr.  Nelson, 
though  at  Cape  Darby.  This  specimen,  intended  for  similar  service  as 
the  preceding,  is  shaped  like  the  body  of  a  deer  with  the  doe's  head  at 
one  end,  while  the  eyes  are  two  blue  beads  neatly  inserted  in  holes. 
Like  the  preceding,  some  traces  of  hunting  records  are  retained,  the 
incisions  in  several  places  being  almost  obliterated  by  long  continued 
use.  At  one  place  a  native  is  represented  as  directing  a  gun  toward  a 
reindeer,  while  in  front  of  the  latter  are  several  lines  indicating  that 
another  specimen  of  the  same  species  was  to  be  engraved,  but  not 
completed.  Almost  beneath  the  hunter  is  a  rectangular  figure,  to  one 


838  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

end  of  which  is  attached  a  mammal,  which,  though  relatively  small, 
appears  to  represent  a  bear. 

Upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  specimen,  which  is  brownish  yellow 
from  age,  are  a  number  of  delicate  lines,  some  of  which  clearly  por 
tray  habitations,  a  tree,  two  men,  and  a  sledge  with  two  dogs. 

Along  the  back  of  the  specimen,  representing  the  spine  of  the  ani 
mal  imitated,  are  two  parallel  lines  extending  backward  toward  the 
lozenge-shaped  perforation  used  for  straightening  weapons.  The  per 
foration,  as  in  the  preceding  example,  is  also  cut  through  at  an  angle, 
though  only  about  12  or  15  degrees  variance  from  the  line  of  the  longest 
diameter.  The  entire  length  is  4f  inches. 

The  middle  specimen  is  from  Nubriukhchuguluk,  and  was  secured 
by  Mr.  Nelson.  The  form  is  greatly  like  that  of  a  common  steel  car 
riage  wrench.  It  is  made  of  bone,  and  the  four  sides  of  the  handle 


Fig.  47. 

TOOT,  BAO  OF  WOLVERINE  SKIN. 

bear  longitudinal  lines  with  lateral  cuts,  so  placed  as  to  resemble 
arrowheaded  or  >-shaped  figures.  The  type  of  decoration  being  one  of 
the  oldest  and  simplest,  will  be  found  more  fully  treated  and  illustrated 
in  connection  with  the  subject  of  decoration  and  conventionalizing. 

The  specimen  is  apparently  a  very  old  one,  archreologically,  and 
shows  traces  of  long- continued  or  rough  usage. 

Plate  49,  fig.  6,  shows  an  ornament  for  attachment  to  the  cap  used 
by  Aleut  hunters,  as  is  shown  in  plate  53.  This  specimen  was  obtained 
at  Kushunuk.  The  ornamentation  consists  of  very  strongly  incised 
concentric  rings,  to  the  outer  one  of  which  are  attached  two  parallel 
lines  extending  diagonally  toward  the  base  line,  possibly  with  the 
intention  of  filling  the  blank  triangular  space,  which  would  otherwise 
remain  without  markings. 

Many  of  the  so-called  drill  bows  in  the  collection  of  the  National 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  839 

Museum  are,  in  reality,  handles  for  carrying  tool  and  other  bags.  The 
Point  Barrow  collection  contains  four  such  bags,  and  as  Mr.  Murdoch's 
description  is  short  and  to  the  point,  I  can  not  do  better  than  to  quote 
him.  He  says : 

These  bags  are  always  made  of  skin  with  the  hair  out,  and  the  skins  of  wolver 
ines'  heads  are  the  most  desired  for  this  purpose.1  [Fig.  47.] 

The  bottom  of  the  bag  is  a  piece  of  short-haired  brown  deerskin,  with  the  hair 
out,  pierced  across  the  middle.  The  sides  and  ends  are  made  of  the  skins  of  four 
wolverine  heads,  without  the  lower  jaw,  cut  off  at  the  nape  and  spread  out  and 
sewed  together  side  by  side  with  the  hair  outside  and  noses  up.  One  head  comes  to 
each  end  of  the  bag  and  each  side,  and  the  spaces  between  the  noses  are  filled  out 
with  gussets  of  deerskin  and  wolverine  skin.  A  narrow  strip  of  the  latter  is  sewed 
round  the  mouth  of  the  bag.  The  handle  is  of  walrus  ivory,  144  inches  long  and 
about  one-half  inch  square.  There  is  a  vertical  hole  through  it  one-half  inch  from 
each  end,  and  at  one  end  also  a  transverse  hole  between  this  and  the  tip.  One  end 
of  the  thong  which  fastens  the  handle  to  the  bag  is  drawn  through  this  hole  and  cut 
oft'  close  to  the  surface.  The  other  end  is  brought  over  the  handle  and  down  through 
the  vertical  hole  and  made  fast  with  two  half  stitches  into  a  hole  through  the 
septum  of  the  nose  of  the  head  at  one  end  of  the  bag.  The  other  end  of  the  handle  is 
fastened  to  the  opposite  nose  in  the  same  way,  but  the  thong  is  secured  in  the  hole 
by  a  simple  knot  in  the  end  above.  On  one  side  of  the  handle  is  an  unfinished 
incised  pattern. 

Many  of  these  bag  handles  are  decorated  on  two,  three,  or  even  all  four 
sides,  when  they  are  so  fashioned,  although  some  are  convex  above,  as 
well  as  below,  leaving  but  two  sides  upon  which  to  engrave  anything. 

Another  variety  of  decorated  handles  are  those  used  in  small  bags, 
meaning  but  one-quarter  the  size  of  the  one  above  described. 

In  addition  to  the  incised  ornamentation,  both  decorative  and  his 
torical  or  mythologic,  many  of  the  small  bag  handles  are  carved  with 
whale  flukes,  bear  heads,  seal  heads,  and  other  objects,  as  will  be 
found  upon  examining  various  illustrations  in  the  present  paper. 

DECOKATION   OF   ANIMAL   CARVINGS. 

As  in  the  preceding  methods  of  decorating  ornaments,  various  animal 
carvings,  effigies,  toys,  etc.,  are  also  ornamented,  the  artistic  efforts 
being  directed,  in  many  instances,  to  heighten  the  resemblance  to  the 
prototype  selected.  Thus  are  attempted  the  indication  of  spots,  stripes, 
and  scales  upon  animals  and  fish,  the  results  being  often  very  clever. 

Plate  5$*  fig.  1,  shows  a  specimen  which  was  obtained  at  Sledge 
Island.  It  is  a  very  ornamental  handle  for  packages  or  bags,  to  either 
end  of  which  is  attached  a  short  chain.  One  of  these  chains  terminates 
in  a  seal  head.  The  links  were  cut  from  the  same  piece  as  the  handle 
itself.  The  separate  attachments  to  which  the  package  is  fastened 
consist  of  two  small  swivels,  or  pins,  perforated  below  assd  terminating 
on  top  in  carved  seal  heads,  the  ears,  eyes,  nostrils,  and  mouth  of  which 
are  clearly  indicated.  The  ornamentation  upon  the  top  of  the  handle 
consists  of  four  small  characters  of  the  primary  form  of  decoration 


1  Ninth  Annual  Report  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  1887-88.     1892,  pp.  187, 188,  fig.  166. 


840  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

previously  referred  to,  and  illustrated  in  plate  48,  figs.  1  and  2,  and  plate 
31,  fig.  2. 

Plate  55,  fig.  2,  is  another  kantag  handle,  and  was  obtained  at  Norton 
Sound.  It  is  very  old,  measures  6^  inches  in  length,  and  is  ornamented 
upon  the  upper  surface  with  two  rows  of  seal  heads  in  relief,  each  row 
consisting  of  fifteen  heads,  upon  which  are  indicated  the  eyes.  At 
either  end  are  the  relief  figures  of  two  whales  flanking  the  perforations 
through  which  the  cords  are  passed. 

Plate  32,  fig.  3,  represents  two  ear  pendants.  Very  quaint  faces  are 
inclosed  by  circles  from,  which  project  four  small  circles  or  knobs  with 
central  indentations.  The  eyes,  nose,  and  mouth  very  much  resemble 
the  face  of  a  seal,  the  forehead  being  ornamented  by  small  punctures. 
This  closely  resembles  the  carved  ivory  seal  faces  in  fig.  0,  in  which  the 
punctures  are  placed  upon  the  cheeks  to  indicate  the  root  of  the  whis 
kers.  Above  the  eyes  are  markings  to  denote  the  eyebrows.  In  other 
respects  the  faces  are  very  human.  These  faces  resemble  to  some 
extent  that  shown  in  fig.  7,  although  it  will  be  observed  that  in  the 
latter  the  nostrils  are  very  definitely  outlined,  while  beneath  the  mouth 
are  two  pairs  of  descending  lines  to  indicate  tattoo  marks. 

Plate  50,  fig.  2,  represents  an  effigy  of  a  seal.  The  concentric  circles 
are  ornamented  on  the  outer  side  with  three  short  radiating  lines  and  a 
longer  base  line  in  exact  imitation  of  the  common  flower  symbol  which 
it  is  undoubtedly  intended  to  represent.  The  central  perforations  made 
by  the  central  pin  of  the  tool  used  in  making  the  symbols  are  closed 
with  wooden  blocks  which  secure  small  bunches  of  bristles.  Altogether 
the  specimen  is  very  artistically  made. 

Plate  56,  fig.  3,  shows  a  belt  clasp.  This  represents  a  seal.  Upon 
the  side  of  the  body  is  a  large  figure  of  concentric  rings,  to  either  side 
of  which  are  three  small  sets.  The  central  one  is  furthermore  orna 
mented  with  four  short  radiating  lines  attached  to  the  outer  ring,  while 
the  small  circles  are  decorated  with  short  radiating  lines,  the  upper  one 
being  represented  by  pairs,  while  the  bottom  line  is  represented  by  two 
lines 5  yet  the  figures  appear  to  be  the  same  as  the  conventional  flower 
symbol,  which  may  have  been  utilized  in  this  instance  to  ornament  the 
body  of  the  animal,  as  in  the  preceding  case. 

Plate  26,  fig.  3,  represents  a  seal  drag  from  St.  Michaels.  The  thong 
is  made  of  rawhide,  and  the  instrument  is  used  for  dragging  dead  seals. 
It  is  made  of  walrus  ivory,  and  represents  two  seal  heads,  the  eyes  and 
nostrils  being  clearly  indicated,  not  only  by  perforations,  but  in  one 
case  the  perforations  are  filled  with  wooden  pegs,  and  the  other  the 
eyes  are  filled  with  beads.  Upon  the  throat  of  each  seal  is  the  eth'gy  of 
a  whale,  very  neatly  carved,  and  partly  detached  to  add  to  its  relief. 
The  perforation  extends  through  the  mouth  of  the  seal  at  the  right 
hand,  for  the  admission  of  a  noose  or  cord.  Upon  the  upper  surface  of 
the  drag  concentric  rings  are  seen. 

Plate  56,  fig.  4,  represents  the  ettigy  of  a  seal,  and  was  made  to  be 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    55. 


Fig.  1.  BAG  HANDLE  WITH  CHAIN  ENDS. 

(Cut.  No.  44691,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Sledge  Island.     Collected  by  E.  "\V.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  2.  KANTAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  No.  24431,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  L.  M.  Turner.) 

Fig.  3.  KANTAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  No.  44690,  F.  S.  N.  M.     Sledge  Island.     Collected  by  E.  "W.  Nelson.) 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  55. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    56. 


2      I 
4 

1      5      3 


Fig.  1.  EFFIGY  OF  OTTER. 

(Cat.  Xo.  36477,  TJ.  S.  X.  M.     Kushkunuk.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  2.  EFFIGY  OF  SEAL. 

(Cat,  Xo.  55909,  TJ.  S.  X.  M.     Briston  Bay.     Collected  by  E.  L.  McKay.) 

Fig.  3.  EFFIGY  OF  OTTER. 

(Cat.  Xo.  16140,  U.  S.  X.  M.     Minivak  Island.     Collected  by  "W .  H.  Dall.) 

Fig.  4,  EFFIGY  OF  SEAL. 

(Cat,  Xo.  48642,  V.  S.  X.  M.     Kotzebue  Sound.) 

Fig.  5.  EFFIGY  OF  WALRUS. 

(Cat.  Xo.  72904,  U.  S.  X.  M.     Xaslia^ak.     Collected  by  E.  L.  McKay.) 


Report  of  U    S.  National  Museum,  1895.— Hoffr 


PLATE  56. 


ORNAMENTED  ANIMAL  EFFIGIES. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895.-  Hoffman. 


PLATE  57. 


DECORATED  ANIMAL  FORMS. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    57. 


Fig.  1.  EFFIGY  OF  FLOUNDER. 

(Cat.  No.  43786,  U.  S.  N.  M.  .  Unalakleet.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  2.  CARVED  FIGURES  OF  SEALS. 

(Cat.  No.  35900,  F.  S.  N.  M.     Aleutian  Islands.     Collected  by  L.  M.  Turner.) 

Fig.  3.  EFFIGY  OF  SEAL. 

(Cat.  No.  37610,  F.  S.  N.  M.     Fualakleet.     Collected  by  E.  \Y.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  4.  DRAG  HANDLE  IN  IMITATION  OF  SEAL. 

(Cat.  No.  33292,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  5.  BELUGA. 

(Cat.  No.  33373,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  AY.  Nelson. ) 

Fig.  6.  BEAVER. 

(Cat.  No.  33356,  V.  S.  N.  M.     Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  AY.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  7.  GRAYLING. 

(Cat.  No.  33535,  TT.  S.  N.  M.     Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  AY.  Nelson.) 
Fig.  8.  FISH. 

(Cat.  No.  33535,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Point  Barrow.     Collected  by  Lieut.  P.  H.  Ray.  IT.  S.  A.) 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  841 

used  for  attaching  cord  and  for  dragging  seals.  The  ornamentation 
consists  of  sharply  marked  nucleated  circles.  The  specimen  is  from 
Kotzebue  Sound,  and  is  considerably  ruder  and  less  artistic  than  the 
other  specimens  in  this  series. 

In  plate  56,  fig.  5,  is  reproduced  the  effigy  of  a  walrus.  The  speci 
men  was  obtained  at  ISIashagak  by  Mr.  E.  L.  McKay.  As  in  figs. 2  and 
3,  the  body  is  ornamented  with  concentric  rings,  to  the  outer  of  each 
of  which  are  radiating  lines,  almost  like  the  conventional  flower  symbol, 
and  possibly  intended  for  the  same.  Extending  horizontally  between 
these  "  circle  markings77  are  rows  of  small  perforations,  or  drilled  holes, 
simply  to  serve  as  ornaments.  The  peculiar  marking  upon  the  top  of 
the  head,  which  no  doubt  is  intended  to  represent  the  wrinkles  or  folds 
of  the  skin,  is  also  the  rude  symbol  of  the  female  genitals  as  drawn  by 
the  Eskimo,  and  of  which  one  single  instance  is  found  in  the  collec 
tions  of  the  National  Museum,  and  is  reproduced  in  fig.  48. 

Plate  41,  fig.  1,  is  an  ivory  wedge  used  for  splitting  wal 
rus  hide,  The  tool  is  made  in  imitation  of  an  otter,  the 
back  and  eyes  having  incised  nucleated  rings,  with  radii, 
which  are  connected  by  lines.  The  back  bears,  within  the 
parallel  space,  some  herringbone  patterns  similar  to  those 
on  the  figures  shown  on  the  same  plate  (41),  figs.  3  and  4. 

Hate  54,  fig.  1,  represents  a  carving  of  an  otter.  The  arti- 
cle  served  as  an  ornament,  but  for  what  special  purpose  is 
not  known.  As  will  be  noted  by  reference  to  the  illustration,  the  back 
from  the  neck  to  the  base  of  the  tail  bears  a  deep  incision,  through 
which  were  made  several  perforations  for  attaching  it  by  means  of 
cords  to  some  other  object.  Within  the  concentric  circles  are  blue 
glass  beads  which  have  been  inserted  in  the  perforations  left  by  the 
tool  used  in  making  the  rings.  The  eyes  are  also  provided  with  small 
glass  beads.  All  the  lines  and  markings  have  been  filled  in  with  some 
black  coloring  matter. 

Plate  57,  fig.  G,  represents  a  beaver^  upon  whose  back  is  the  outline 
of  a  smaller  beaver.  Over  the  whole  are  ornamental  lines  crossing  one 
another  at  right  angles. 

Comparison  may  be  made  with  an  effigy  of  a  seal,  upon  whose  back, 
transversely  and  in  relief,  is  a  young  one;  both  parent  and  young  being 
decorated,  the  former  with  concentric  rings. 

Plate  26,  fig.  2,  represents  a  bag  handle  from  the  Lower  Yukon. 
The  specimen  is  almost  semicircular,  and  measures  9  inches  across  from 
point  to  point,  and  4  inches  in  height.  The  upper  or  convex  side  has 
high  relief  carvings  representing  bears'  heads,  nine  in  number,  the 
eyes  and  nostrils  being  pronounced  perforations,  while  upon  the  fore 
head  of  each  is  a  sharply  defined  cross.  Along  the  upper  edge,  corre 
sponding  to  the  necks  of  the  bears,  are  the  deeply  cut  figures  of  six 
bears,  and  continued  around  to  the  inside  of  the  handle,  and  con 
nected  with  the  necks  of  three  of  the  bears,  are  the  figures  of  trees. 


842  EEPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

Immediately  below  the  bears'  heads  are  the  figures  of  seventeen  seals, 
to  the  back  of  each  of  which  is  a  diagonal  line  to  represent  a  harpoon, 
while  transversely  to  the  latter  is  shown  the  cord.  These  resemble  a 
general  attempt  at  ornamentation,  the  uniformity  of  drawing  appear 
ing  to  substantiate  this  belief. 

Plate  57  represents  a  number  of  figures  of  animals  and  fish,  all  of 
them  toys,  with  the  exception  of  fig.  4,  which  is  a  drag  handle.  Fig.  1 
represents  a  flounder,  and  is  ornamented  with  delicate  incisions  and 
radiating  lines  for  fins.  Fig.  2  shows  an  ivory  carving  representing 
seals  and  ornamented  with  delicate  punctures  and  incised  lines.  Fig.  3 
is  an  effigy  of  a  seal  with  the  head  portion  plain  while  the  back  is 
ornamented  with  triangular  marks  as  if  made  with  single  incisions  of 
a  three-cornered  graver.  Fig.  4,  already  referred  to,  represents  a  seal, 
the  ornamentation  consisting  of  curved  parallel  lines  within  which  are 
short  diagonal  lines  extending  from  each  parallel  line  toward  the  other. 

Plate  57,  fig.  5,  represents  the  beluga,  with  very  rude  markings  upon 
the  back. 

The  Kantag  or  bag  handle  shown  in  plate  58,  fig.  3,  is  in  imitation  of  a 
beluga  whale,  while  the  back  of  the  neck  also  bears  a  rude  outline  of 
such  a  mammal.  The  shoulder  bears  a  transverse  bar  within  which  is 
a  meandering  line  extending  from  side  to  side  of  the  animal;  behind 
this  are  the  figures  of  four  u killer'1  whales,  while  near  the  rear  end  of 
the  figure  itself  is  the  upper  part  of  a  bowhead  whale  shown  with 
water  spouting. 

Plate  55,  fig.  3,  represents  a  kantag  handle  from  Sledge  Island.  The 
decoration  consists  of  figures  of  four  right  whales  carved  transversely, 
two  at  either  end.  From  the  ends  of  the  handle  are  suspended,  in  the 
shape  of  links,  other  whales,  while  upon  the  middle  of  the  handle  are 
engraved  delicate  outlines  of  two  whales  facing  each  other. 

Plate  41,  fig.  6,  represents  a  bodkin,  the  point  consisting  of  part  of 
a  three-cornered  tile  while  the  other  end  terminates  in  a  short  chain. 
The  last  link  represents  a  fish  tail  and  is  ornamented  with  nucleated 
circles,  while  the  handle  of  the  instrument  bears  a  series  of  nucleated 
rings  with  short  radiating  lines,  representing  the  flower  symbol,  as  in 
plate  15,  fig.  4,  though  larger. 

Plate  57,  fig.  7,  represents  a  grayling,  though  in  reality  the  shape 
and  pronounced  decoration  of  the  upper  half  of  the  body  represents 
more  nearly  the  salmon.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  median  line  is 
ornamented  with  other  lateral  incisions  in  imitation  of  the  "fish  trap" 
pattern,  while  the  fins  are  very  pronounced  and  consist  of  sharply 
marked  serrations,  resembling  one  half  of  the  preceding  pattern. 

Plate  57,  fig.  8,  represents  a  fish,  the  dorsal  markings  consisting  of 
hatched  lines.  This  probably  represents  a  salmon. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    58. 


Fig.  1.  HUNTING  RECORD. 

(Cat,  No.  89487,  U.  S.  X.  M.    Point  Barrow.     Collected  by  Lieut.  P.  H.  Ray,  U.  S.  A.) 

Fig.  2.  KANTAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  Xo.  43936,  TJ.  S.  X.  M.     "Xubuiakbchugaluk."     Collected  by  E.  VT.  Xelson.) 

Fig.  3.  KANTAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  No.  43820.  U.S.  N.M.    TJnalakleet.    Collected  by  E.  W.  Xelson.) 

Fig.  4.  KANTAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  Xo.  24429,  U.  S.  X.  M.     St.  Micbaels.     Collected  by  L.  M.  Turner.) 

Fig.  5.  BONE  Box. 

(Cat.  Xo.  129221,  U.  S.  X.  M.     St.  Michaels.     Collected  by  L.  M.  Turner.) 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895. — Hoffman. 


PLATE  58. 


DECORATED  UTENSILS. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  843 


PICTOGRAPHS   OF  DOMESTIC  AVOCATIONS. 

The  greater  number  of  the  records  appear  to  come  under  this  general 
caption,  together  with  which,  some  hunting  scenes  are  included.  The 
various  forms  of  habitations  used  by  the  Eskimo  are  also  here  referred 
to,  rather  than  in  the  previous  chapters  in  connection  with  the  geo 
graphic  location  and  environment  of  the  several  subtribes  or  settle 
ments,  because  comparisons  may  here  be  made  between  the  forms  or 
outlines  of  houses,  sledges,  and  possibly  also  canoes,  to  show  the 
degree  of  fidelity  of  reproduction  of  specific  peculiarities  of  either  of 
the  last  named. 

HABITATIONS  AND    CONVEYANCE. 

Iii  his  reference  to  the  dwellings  of  the  Eskimo  generally,  Mr. 
Petroff1  speaks  of  the  winter  and  summer  habitations  as  being  quite 
distinct  from  one  another.  The  former  being  underground  to  a  cer 
tain  extent,  having  a  mound- shaped  appear 
ance  with  a  ridge  projecting  for  some  distance, 
beneath  which  is  the  entrance,  is  closely  imi 
tated  in  the  pictographs  by  the  natives.  The 
smoke  holes  are  in  the  top  of  the  dome,  or  near 
the  center,  for  the  escape  of  the  smoke.  The 
common  houses,  on  the  other  hand,  are  inclosed  Fig.  49. 

above  ground,  and  partake  of  the  nature  of  a    "WELLING FROM CHUCKOHE YEAR 

,  ..,  ,    .  ,  RECORD. 

log  structure  covered  with  skins,  and  some 
times  of  an  ordinary  tent-shaped  shelter.     The  fire  is  built  not  within 
the  tent,  but  before  the  entrance.    This  feature  is  also  carefully  observed 
in  the  etchings  made  by  the  native  artist,  and  numerous  examples  are 
given  in  illustration  thereof. 

A  larger  building,  known  as  the  kashqa,  is  found  in  almost  every 
village,  built  after  the  pattern  of  the  winter  habitation.  A  raised 
platform  runs  all  around  the  interior  for  seating  the  visitors,  and  on 
some  of  the  larger  kashqas  several  such  tiers  have  been  observed. 
These  structures  are  generally  used  for  ceremonial  observances.  An 
illustration  of  the  ground  plan  of  such  an  inclosure,  made  by  a  native, 
is  reproduced  in  fig.  49. 

In  fig.  49  is  the  outline  of  a  dwelling  reproduced  from  plate  81, 
which  constitutes  a  Chuckche  a  year  record."  The  original  was  obtained 
by  Baron  Nordenskiold  in  Siberia,  and  is  now  in  the  possession  of  a 
gentleman  in  England.  The  pictographs  were  drawn  upon  a  piece  of 
walrus  hide. 

In  the  interior,  at  the  left,  is  shown  the  ridge  intended  for  seats  or 
sleeping  places.  The  occupant  seated  upon  it  appears  to  be  gesticu 
lating  and  in  conversation  with  his  companions. 

A  similar  drawing  in  fig.  50  shows  this  seat  also.     This  sketch  is 

1  Tenth  Census  of  the  United  States,  VIII,  p.128. 


844  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

from  a  pipe  from  Norton  Sound.     A  drummer  occupies  the  seat,  -while 
his  companions  are  dancing. 

On  the  outside  is  shown  one  man  at  work  chopping  wood,  while  two 
of  his  companions  are  indicated  as  bringing  in  a  piece  of  timber  for 

splitting. 

This  structure  is  al 
most  a  counterpart  of 


Siberia. 

WINTER   HABITATION,  WITH   WOOD   CHOPPER   AT   WORK. 

In  fig.  ^1  are  repre 

sented  two  forms,  almost  identical,  of  structures  made  for  white  men, 
to  serve  as  trading  establishments  as  well  as  sleeping  quarters.  The 
outline  in  some  pictographs  of  traders  possesses  one  more  nearly  like  a 
one-  story  log  house. 

On  one  of  the  ivory  bodkins  shown  in  plate  24,  fig.  5,  the  triangular 
figures  with  diagonal  projecting  lines  on  either  side  near  the  top  are 
outlines  of  summer  habitations,  the  utilization  of  which  for  apparently 
purely  decorative  purposes  being  probably  prompted  by  the  regular  and 
angular  forms,  straight  lines  being  preferable  and  more  desirable  for 
such  ornamental  engraving,  as  curved  lines  are  foreign  to  the  primitive 
straight-line  system,  largely  attributable  to  the  kind  of  instruments 
available  and  the  generally  difficult  nature  of  the  substance  to  be 
worked  or  engraved. 

In  plate  59,  fig.  4,  is  another  and  ruder  form  of  indicating  the  same 
style  of  summer  habitation,  the  variants  in  plate  59,  fig.  2,  being  also 
more  explanatory  in  detail,  and  of  interest  as  indicating  a  departure 
in  engraving  from  the  original  type  of  a  tent  shelter,  the  light  lines 
diverging  from  near  the  top  denoting  the  poles,  over  which  some  skins 
or  imported  fabrics  have  been  thrown. 

In  plate  (>()  are  a  number  of  illustrations  of  native  pursuits.  In  the 
fifth  line,  or  No.  5,  are  shown  some  delicately  engraved  figures. 

Nos.  1,  3,  5,  7,  9,  10,  and  12  represent  habitations  of  several  kinds,  of 
each  of  which  the  village  is  composed.  The  occupant  at  the  entrance 
to  No.  1  is  employed  in  suspending  from  a  pole  —  to  the  left  of  the  house 
No.  3  —  some  meat,  probably  fish.  Festoons  of  the  same  kind  of  food, 
for  the  purpose  of  drying,  are  sus 
pended  from  the  food  racks  shown  in 
Nos.  4,  0,  and  8  and  on  the  horizontal 
pole  resting  on  the  roofs  of  the  two 
houses  at  Nos.  9  and  10.  A  granary 

WHITE  MEN  S  DWELLINGS. 

is  also  indicated  in  No.  8,  the  stair 

way  beneath  being  plainly  shown.  The  occupants  of  the  houses  Nos. 
9  and  10  are  also  occupied  with  domestic  duties.  Fig.  11  represents 
the  boat,  placed  upon  a  rack  so  as  to  dry  the  skin  covering. 

The  summer  habitation  (No.  12)  has  an  open  door  at  one  side,  and  to 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    59. 


Fig.  1.  DRILL  Bow. 

(Cat,  Xo.  43930,  U.  S.  X.  M.     Xubriakh.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Xolson.) 

Fig.  2.  DRILL  Bow. 

(Cat.  No.  43360,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Cape  Prince  of  Wales.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Xelson.) 

Fig.  3.  DRILL  Bow. 

(Cat.  -So.  33186,  F.  S.  X.  M.     Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Xelson.) 

Fig.  4.  DRILL  Bow. 

(Cat.  No.  33187,  V.  S.  N.  M.     Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Xelson.) 


Report  of   U.  S.  National  Museum,  1  895 .-  Hoffman. 


PLATE  59. 


Report  of  U,  S.  National  Museum,  1895.— Hoffman. 


1  234567 


89  10          11 


10         11 


123  45 


10 


RECORDS  OF  DOME 


PLATE  60. 


I—*  I    *    i~i 


1 


J2    13    14    IS      16       17       18  19  80        21     iB       S3     34       2S 


10  11  12  13 


ifltfHH-'. 


12  13 


14       15       16 


AVOCATIONS. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  845 

the  right  is  seated  one  of  the  household  (No.  13)  employed  in  stirring 
some  food  in  a  kettle.  The  smoke  (No.  14)  is  rising  to  a  considerable 
height,  and  another  pot  or  kettle  is  seen  to  the  right.  The  native 
shown  in  No.  1.5  is  greatly  excited,  having  both  hands,  with  extended 
fingers,  thrown  upward,  the  cause  being  seen  in  an  old  man  drag 
ging  ashore  a  walrus,  which  is  being  harpooned  by  No.  17.  The  old 
age  of  the  native  (No.  1(5)  is  indicated  by  his  walking  with  a  staff,  this 
method  of  portraying  an  old  person  being  common  in  many  portions 
of  the  world,  the  Egyptian  hieroglyphs  abounding  in  characters 
almost  identical  to  the  one  here  shown.  The  walrus  (No.  19)  is  also 
shown  as  having  been  captured,  the  native  in  No-  21  having  con 
siderable  dilliculty  in  dragging  it  ashore,  as  he  is  down  on  one  knee 
tugging  at  the  harpoon  line,  while  a  companion  is  observed  near  him 
(No.  22),  aiding  him. 

Fig.  20  is  the  outline  of  a  doe,  which  was  also  secured.  No.  23  denotes 
a  dog,  while  Nos.  24  and  25  indicate  two  other  natives. 

An  excellent  illustration  of  the  different  methods  of  portraying  canoes 
and  houses  is  given  in  plate  60,  seventh  line,  the  whole  scene  denoting 
a  native  village  situated  near  the  water.  Upon  the  canoe  (No.  21)  is  a 
u  shaman  stick,"  or  votive  offering,  erected  to  the  memory  of  the  one 
who  owned  the  scaffold,  and  perhaps  canoe  as  well.  Another  offering 
of  similar  purport  is  erected  upon  the  roof  of  the  house  No.  10.  One 
showing  the  same  fan-like  top  will  be  found  in  connection  with  mortuary 
customs. 

At  No.  4  the  native  is  putting  away  something  resembling  a  pole, 
while  at  No.  G  the  two  men  seem  to  be  engaged  in  conversation  con 
cerning  the  canoe,  the  one  nearest  to  it  having  his  right  hand  pointing 
toward  or  touching  it. 

The  winter  habitations,  with  their  entrances,  are  portrayed  in  a 
manner  different  from  the  usual  custom.  The  entrance  is  very  pro 
jecting,  and  apparently  overhanging. 

Smoke  is  seen  issuing  from  the  apex,  chimney,  or  funnel  containing 
a  smoke  hole,  on  the  house  No.  12.  A  food  scaffold,  known  by  the  vertical 
poles  projecting  considerably  above  the  transverse  body,  is  shown  in 
No.  33,  while  beyond  is  what  appears  to  be  another  scaffold.  The 
erosion  to  which  the  ivory  has  been  subjected  has  obliterated  all  other 
parts  of  the  figure. 

A  very  common  figure  is  that  resembling  an  oblong  box  placed  upon 
upright  poles,  in  reality  a  scaffold,  upon  which  is  built  a  storehouse  for 
the  protection  against  noxious  animals.  These  figures  are  usually 
placed  near  the  representation  of  the  dome- shaped  winter  habitation, 
as  each  family  has  such  a  storehouse. 

Other  scaffold-like  structures  also  occur,  and  frequently  the  kaiak  or 
umiak,  placed  upon  the  scaffold  for  drying,  may  be  mistaken  for  one  of 
these,  which,  in  reality,  are  the  resting  place  of  some  human  body. 
This  practice  is  not  common  everywhere,  however. 


846 


REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 


Iii  some  ethnographic  "  Memoranda  concerning  the  arctic  Eskimos  in 
Alaska  and  Siberia,"  by  Mr.  John  W.  Kelly,1  an  interpreter,  says: 

The  Eskimo  oomeaks  (open  boats)  have  a  framework  of  spruce  covered  with  split 
walrus  hides,  sea-lion  skins,  or  white  grampus  skins.  The  latter  is  not  used  if  sea- 
lion  or  walrus  skins  are  obtainable,  as  it  is  rather  thin.  The  Bering  Strait  and  uorth- 
coast  boats  are  generally  24  feet  long  with  5  feet  beam,  and  have  a  carrying  capacity 
of  15  persons  and  500  pounds  of  freight. 

Those  of  the  Kotzebue  Sound  average  about  35  feet  in  length  and  6  feet  in  width. 
They  have  a  carrying  capacity  of  20  persons  and  1,000  pounds  of  freight,  or  3,000 
pounds  of  merchandise  and  a  crew  of  6  men.  There  are  exceptional  boats  built  on 
the  sound  that  are  as  much  as  42  feet  over  all.  In  crossing  Kotzebue  Sound  or 
Bering  Strait  the  natives  sew  on  bulwarks  of  sea-lion  skins  a  foot  high  to  keep  the 
water  from  dashing  in. 

Mr.  Ivan  Petroff,2  who  spent  a  number  of  years  in  various  portions 
of  Alaska,  in  an  official  capacity,  says  of  the  vessels  of  the  Eskimo : 

All  the  Eskimo  tribes,  without  exception,  manufacture  and  use  the  skin  canoe 
known  as  the  kaiak,  identical  with  that  of  the  eastern  or  Greenland  Eskimo ;  and 
this  feature  is  so  distinctive  and  exclusive  that  a  tribal  name  might  justly  be  based 
upon  it  should  the  necessity  arise  for  another.  At  present  I  know  of  only  one 
instance  where  an  intermixture  of  the  Innuit  with  another  tribe  has  taken  place 


Fig.  52. 

MODEL  KAIAK  AND  DOUBLE  PADDLE,  POINT  BARROW. 

under  such  circumstances  that  the  foreign  element  has  gained  the  upper  hand,  and 
there  they  have  already  abandoned  the  manufacture  of  the  kaiak  and  apparently 
forgotten  the  art  of  its  construction.  I  refer  to  the  Oughalakhmute.  who  have 
mixed  with  the  Thlinket.  The  open  skin  boat,  the  oomiak,  or  woman's  boat,  also 
known  as  Mdar,  is  used  by  certain  tribes  on  the  north  coast  of  Asia;  but  the  kaiak 
proper  is  only  found  among  the  Eskimo. 

When  the  Russians  first  observed  this  craft,  they  applied  to  it  the  name  of  bidarka, 
a  diminutive  of  bidar,  a  Kamchatkan  term  for  an  open  skin  boat.  This  term  is  now 
used  throughout  Alaska  wherever  Russian  influence  once  predominated,  and  the 
same  word  has  been  incorporated  into  several  Eskimo  dialects  in  the  form  of  Mdali, 
which  is,  however,  applied  only  to  two  and  three  hatch  kaiaks — a  variety  formerly 
known  only  on  the  Aleutian  Islands,  and  adopted  by  the  Russians  for  greater  con 
venience  in  hunting  and  traveling.  From  Bristol  Bay  westward  and  northward  the 
kaiak  and  oomiak  only  are  used. 

The  accompanying  illustration  serves  to  show  the  general  form  of  the 
kaiak,  so  often  figured  by  the  natives  in  their  hunting  record.3 

Although  fig.  52  is  from  the  most  northern  portion  of  Alaska,  the 
generic  type  of  construction  is  practically  the  same  among  all  the 


1  Bureau  of  Education,  Circular  of  Information  No.  2, 1890,  Washington,  1890,  p.  27. 
2 Tenth  Census  of  the  United  States,  VIII,  1884  (Alaska,  etc.),  pp.  124,  125. 
3  Ninth  Annual  Report  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  1887-88.     1892,  fig.  341,  p.  224. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS, 


847 


Eskimo.  The  double  paddle  is  so  often  used  in  portraying  signals  on 
ivory  that  its  representation  here  will  be  of  interest  in  showing  how 
accurately  the  native  artist  portrays  even  the  tapering  form  of  the 
blades. 


Fig.  53. 
KAIAK. 


Fig.  54. 
KAIAKS. 


On  plate  27  is  shown  an  illustration  of  a  native  kaiak  model. 

Several  forms  of  the  native  portrayal  of  kaiaks  are  shown  in  figs.  53 
and  54.  The  first  is  a  simple  outline  and  incomplete,  and  an  occupant 
was  evidently  intended  to  be  portrayed,  as  all  the  remaining  portion  of 
the  record  from  which  it  was  selected  was  complete  in  every  detail.  The 
two  illustrations  in  fig.  54  are  less  accurate  in  outline,  the  latter  being 
a  simple  group  of  scratches. 

The  specimen  shown  in  fig.  55  is  very 'accurately  drawn,  the  harpoon 
and  seal  float  being  shown  upon  the  kaiak  immediately  behind  the 
hunters. 

The  representation  of  large  boats  used  for  traveling,  hunting,  and 
fishing,  for  the  propulsion  of  which  boat  oars  and  sails  may  be  used,  is  of 
such  frequent  occurrence  in  the  records  of  the  Eskimo, 
that  a  reference  to  the  vessel  and  its  actual  appearance 
is  deemed  appropriate. 

This  large  skin-covered  open  boat  is  in  general  use 
by  the  natives  of  Greenland  and  Alaska,  as  well  as  by 
the  Aleuts  and  some  Siberian  tribes.  The  vessel  is  designated  as  the 
umiak,  by  the  Point  Barrow  natives,  and  some  of  the  Aigaluxamint,  of 
the  southern  coast,  have  used  this  name  as  well  as  the  term  baidarka. 

Eig.  50  represents  a  model  of  an  umiak  from  Utkiavwin,  U.  S.  N.  M., 
No.  56563,1  and  seems  to  illustrate  the  general  form  so  closely  followed 
in  the  engravings  by  native  artists.  The  natives  sit  with  the  face 
toward  the  bow,  using  the  paddle  and  not  an  oar.  The  women  are 


Fig.  55. 
KAIAK. 


Fig.  56. 

MODEL  OF  UMIAK. 


said  by  Egede,  in  his  u  Greenland"  (p.  Ill),  to  sit  with  the  face  toward 
the  stern,  "rowing  with  long  oars."  Mr.  Murdoch2  remarks  with  refer 
ence  to  this  that  "  though  the  women  do  a  great  share  of  the  work  of 


1  From  the  Ninth  Annual  Report  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  1887-88,  1892,  fig.  345",  p.  340. 

2  Idem,  p.  335. 


848  REPORT   OF   NATIONAL   MUSEUM,  1895. 

navigating  the  boat  when  a  single  family  or  a  small  party  is  making  a 
journey,  it  is  by  no  means  considered  a  woman's  boat,  as  appears  to  be 
the  case  among  the  Greenlanders  and  the  eastern  Eskimo  generally. 
On  the  contrary,  women  are  not  admitted  into  the  regularly  organized 
whaling  crews,  unless  the  umialik  can  not  procure  men  enough,  and  in 
the  < scratch7  crews  assembled  for  walrus  hunting  or  sealing  there  are 

usually  at  least  as  many  men 
as  women,  and  the  men  work  as 
hard  as  the  women." 

This  is  mentioned  to  explain 
Fi£-57-  the  reason  why  the  female  fig 

ure  is  absent  in  records  of  hunt 
ing  and  fishing  trips,  although  present  in  other  scenes,  such  as  domestic 
and  probably  ceremonial  records. 

Plate  28  represents  an  illustration  of  a  native  model  from  Alaska. 
A  native  drawing  of  the  umiak  with  four  hunters  is  shown  in  fig.  57. 
The  lines  are  heavily  incised,  and  blackened.     The  men  are  without 
paddles,  which  may  have  been  an  oversight  on  the  part  of  the  artist. 
The  spear  or  harpoon  rest  is  also  shown,  as  well 
as  the  weapon  itself.  -^  l\\         >  _ 

A  less  carefully  drawn  illustration  of  an  umiak     :^^"^™'"l^— "i"l~ii= 
is  shown  in  fig.  58.     The  three  occupants  are 

UMIAK. 

without  paddles.     Still  ruder  form  is  shown  m 

fig.  59,  where  an  attempt  at  throwing  a  harpoon  at  a  whale  is  also  shown. 
In  fig.  60  is  reproduced  a  still  ruder  drawing  of  an  umiak,  no  hunter 
being  shown,  yet  the  record  in  which  this  vessel  occurs  is  of  a  class, 
or  in  that  condition  of  completeness,  that  should  also  have  present  the 
occupant. 

A  better  illustration  of  an  umiak,  containing  five  people,  is  shown  in 
fig.  61.    The  lines  are  lightly  incised. 

A  neatly  executed  sketch  of  an  umiak  is  illustrated  in  fig.  62.     The 
bow  is  longer  than  usual,  and  also  projects  from  the  water. 

Two    varieties 

,«^&r^«. iiiyi          i    IBM  f^>  of  sledges   are 

F\  ^*x      ....^*^Si»^~      portrayed  in  pic- 

few1  f| I  f  'iNgjjjP1      _      W*T^  VVXfry^  tographs  made 

•'-*-  ''"*  by  the   Eskimo, 

one  of  them  being 

UMIAK -"URSUING   WHALE. 

the  railed  sledge 

(fig.  63),  used  for  carrying  loads  of  articles  belonging  to  camp  equipage, 
etc.,  while  the  other  pertains  to  a  low  flat  sledge,  without  rails  (fig.  64),1 
and  used  for  carrying  bulky  objects,  such  as  game,  frozen  seals,  and,  as 
Mr.  Murdoch  informs  us,  for  transporting  the  umiak  across  the  land  or 
solid  ice.  Both  are  made  without  nails,  the  different  parts  being  mortised 
together  and  lashed  securely  with  stitches  of  thong  and  whalebone. 

1  Ninth  Annual  Report  of  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  1887-88,  1892,  p.  353. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  849 

The  runners  are  made  to  slide  easily  by  fitting  to  them  shoes  of  clear 
ice  as  long  as  the  runners  themselves,  "  fully  1  foot  high  by  G  inches 
thick.  The  sledge,  with  these  ice  runners,  is  estimated  to  weigh,  even 
when  unloaded,  upward  of  200  or  300  pounds;  but  it  appears  that  the 
smoothness  of  running  more  than  counterbalances  the  extra  weight."1 

The  flat  sledge  is  used  also  for  ordinary  travel  as  well  as  freight,  and 
an  illustration  of  one  with  ivory  runners 
is  shown  in  fig.  65. 

The  difference  between  these  varieties 
are  often  very  neatly  portrayed,  as  well 
as  other  accessories  pertaining  thereto. 

Doctor  Dall  furnishes  several  illustra 
tions  of  sledges,2  one  from  Norton  Sound  being  like  the  railed  sledge  of 
Point  Barrow.  Some  difference,  however,  is  apparent,  and  this  may 
naturally  influence  the  portrayal  of  the  vehicle  in  engravings  on  ivory. 
The  same  author  also  furnishes  the  illustration  of  a  Hudson  Bay  sledge 
in  which  the  runners  are  absent,  the  entire  base  consisting  of  birch 
boards,  three  of  which  are  laid  side  by  side  and  secured,  and  about  12 
feet  long.  These  are  cut  thin  at  one  end  and  turned  over  like  a  tobog 
gan,  held  down  with  rawhide,  and  inside 
the  curve,  says  Doctor  Dall,  the  voyageur 
carries  his  kettle. 
The  railed  sledge  of  the  Yukon  is  some- 


UMIAK. 


what  different  from  the  two  forms  already 
mentioned,  the  upper  rail  rising  from  the  front  toward  the  back,  and 
resembling  very  much  a  native  sketch  of  a  dog  sledge,  as  shown  in  fig.  60. 
The  hunter  seems  to  be  seated  upon  the  sledge,  seeming  to  indicate  that 
he  has  no  other  loads  and  that  the  rear  projection  on  the  sledge  is  the 
high  framework  shown  in  the  Yukon  type. 

In  fig.  67  is  a  native  reproduction  of  a  dog  sledge  made  somewhat 
after  the  type  of  the  Point  Barrow  type, 
though  no  such  drawings  have  been  found 
in  Point  Barrow  records.    The  men  are  both 
energetically  working  to  aid  the  dog  in  mov-  Fig- 62- 

ing  the  sledge,  which  seems  loaded.     The  UMIAK> 

dog  is  well  portrayed,  the  ragged  outline  no  doubt  being  intended  to 
denote  the  shaggy  coat  of  hair. 

In  his  reference  to  the  Eskimo  of  Melville  Peninsula,  Captain  Parry 
says ::! 

The  distance  to  which  these  people  extend  their  inland  immigrations  and  the 
extent  of  coast  of  which  they  possess  a  personal  knowledge  are  really  very  remark 
able.  Of  these  we  could  at  the  time  of  our  first  intercourse  form  no  correct  judgment, 
from  our  uncertainty  as  to  the  length  of  what  they  call  a  seenik  (sleep),  or  one  day's 

1  Ninth  Annual  Report  of  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  1887-88, 1892,  p.  354. 

2  Alaska  and  its  Resources,  Boston.     1870,  p.  421. 

3  Journal  of  a  Voyage,  etc.,  etc.,  London:  1821,  p.  165. 
NAT  MUS  95 54 


850 


REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 


journey,  by  which  alone  they  could  describe  to  us,  with  the  help  of  their  imperfect 
arithmetic,  the  distance  from  one  place  to  another.  But  our  subsequent  knowledge 
of  the  coast  has  cleared  up  much  of  this  difficulty,  affording  the  means  of  applying 
to  their  hydrographical  sketches  a  tolerably  accurate  scale  for  those  parts  which  we 
have  not  hitherto  visited. 


Fig.  63. 
RAILED   SLEDCiE.      POINT  BARROW. 

In  the  following  description  tents,  habitations,  and  boats  are  illus 
trated,  as  also  some  domestic  avocations,  as  might  be  expected  in  the 
representation  of  village  life. 

Quite  an  interesting  result  is  produced  in  plate  60,  fig.  6,  or  sixth  line, 
the  drawing  representing  the  outlines  of  the  houses  so  that  the  inte 
rior,  with  the  occupants  variously  engaged,  is  exposed  to  view. 


Fig.  64. 

FLAT  SLEDGE.      POINT  BARROW. 


The  end  of  the  record  at  No.  1  denotes  a  partial  turn,  indicating  the 
intention  of  the  owner  of  the  record  to  at  some  future  time  continue 
the  picto graphs  in  that  direction  to  the  next  face  of  the  drill  bow.  No. 
1  is  011  or  at  his  empty  storehouse,  the  framework  only  being  drawn. 


Fig.  65. 

SMALL  SLEDGE  WITH  IVORY  RUNNERS.      POINT  BARROW. 

No.  2  is  a  rack,  with  food  or  goods  on  top,  while  at  No.  3  is  the  first 
house  of  the  village — the  latter  being  indicated  by  the  several  habita 
tions.  One  of  the  occupants  is  seated  upon  an  elevated  ledge  or  seat, 
while  another  is  seated  on  the  floor  before  it;  the  other  inmates  are 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  851 

either  seated  or  moving  about  as  indicated.  Upon  the  roof  is  a  votive 
offering,  a  bird-shaped  "shainau  stick,"  the  import  of  which  is  else 
where  described  in  detail.  Still  more  of  the  family  are  seen  at  the 
entrance  to  the  house,  one  person  within,  while  two  are  upon  the  roof. 
In  the  storehouse,  or  rather  beneath  the  goods,  No.  5,  is  visible  a  dog 
fight,  the  animals  being  drawn  in  the  attitude  of  springing  at  one 
another;  at  the  right  is  the  owner  occupied 
in  removing  some  article  from  the  scaffold. 

In  the  habitation  No.  6,  with  its  entrance 
No.  7,  are  a  number  of  persons  in  various  atti- 

SLEDGE. 

tudes.     One  is  reclining  upon  the  elevated 

shelf  used  for  both  seat  and  bed;  while  upon  the  floor  are  three  seated 
at  a  table,  those  behind  it  being  represented  or  partly  hidden,  the  upper 
parts  of  their  bodies  only  rising  above  the  board.  A  number  of  other 
individuals  are  shown  occupied  in  other  ways.  The  scaffold  at  No.  8 
supporting  the  goods,  as  usually  represented,  has  also  a  horizontal  pole 
for  drying  meat,  several  pieces  thereof  being  designated,  while  two 
persons  beneath  seem  to  be  touching  hands  or  handing  some  article. 

The  habitation  No.  0,  and  its  entrance  No.  10,  also  indicates  a  num 
ber  of  the  inmates.  One  in  particular  is  making  gestures  to  another; 
between  the  two  there  is  an  object  resembling  a  person  as  if  wrapped 
in  a  blanket.  Smoke  is  seen  issuing  from  the  smoke  hole,  while  above 
it  is  what  may  be  here  intended  the  evil  spirit  of  a  dead  person  return 
ing  to  take  possession  of  a  sick  one. 

The  Eskimo  generally  believe  in  the  return  of  the  soul  of  the  dead, 
and  especially  does  the  disembodied  spirit  hover  around  the  house  of 
the  dead  for  three  days,  in  the  endeavor  to  return  and  to  possess  itself 
of  a  living  body.  In  the  purpose  of  guarding  against  this  evil,  the 
inmates  make  certain  shamanistic  preparations,  prompted  by  the  local 
shaman.  The  smoke  issuing  from  the  mouth  of  the  smoke  hole  leaves 
open  the  way  for  the  return  of  the  evil  spirit  and  his  companion  spirit, 
seen  approaching  from  above  the  house. 

No.  11  represents  a  scaffold  for  the  storage  of  food,  and  a  man  is 
seen  in  the  act  of  reaching  toward  the  black  spot  denoting  reindeer  or 

venison  house,  as  the  shape  indicates. 
No.  12  is  another  interesting  in 
terior,  one  native  being  seated  upon 
~~^~7"(r7 the  ledge  while  a  vessel  is  seen  near 
SLEDGE  his  feet.     Another  man  is  reaching 

toward  something  near  the  ceiling, 

while  the  rest  of  the  occupants  of  the  room  are  seated,  one  of  them 
reaching  up  toward  the  standing  figure  as  in  the  act  of  asking  for,  or 
supplication.  Smoke  is  issuing  from  the  smoke  hole,  while  some  one  is 
occupied  near  the  fire  beneath  it.  A  ladder  is  placed  against  the  out 
side  of  the  entrance  to  the  house,  and  a  man  is  seen  part  way  up  near 
another  person  who  seems  to  be  occupied  in  gesture  and  conversation. 


852  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  3895. 

Another  man  is  seen  carrying  a  snowshoe-like  object,  probably  of  rein 
deer  or  deer,  to  the  summit  of  the  house  roof  to  dry.  The  pole,  with 
crosspiece,  situated  near  the  head  of  the  ladder,  is  a  votive  offering 
erected  there  by  one  of  the  inmates. 

No.  13  is  a  sledge,  upon  which  is  seated  the  driver  using  his  whip. 
The  dog  is  urged  forward,  and  another  native,  one  of  the  three,  No.  14, 
who  had  been  off'  trading  for  skins,  is  hailing  a  boat  seen  coming  to 
the  shore  with  the  gunwale  parallel  therewith,  pre 
sen  ting  another  good  instance  of  foreshortening  of 
»     the  object.     The  man  behind  the  sledge  is  walking 
Ei£-  68-  along  with  his  staff7  elevated.     The  in  verted  figure 

above  seems  to  belong  to  a  series  attempted  on 
that  side  of  the  panel  of  the  bow  drill,  as  another  figure,  having  no 
apparent  connection  with  the  completed  record,  occurs  also  at  a  point 
over  the  three  wading  boatmen  following  the  baidarka,  No.  1G,  which 
is  being  pushed  ashore.  No.  17  is  also  in  shallow  water  and  appears  to 
start  away  as  the  oarsmen  are  seated  within  with  their  arms  extended 
grasping  the  paddle. 

An  interesting  and  cleverly  drawn  native  sketch  of  a  man  mending 
a  seine  net  is  shown  in  fig.  CS.  The  attitude  is  lifelike,  while  in  one 
hand  is  portrayed  a  short  line  denoting  the  shuttle. 

A  man  splitting  wood  is  shown  in  the  accompanying  illustration, 
fig.  G9.  He  has  a  heavy  mallet  or  some  other  like  utensil  raised  above 
his  head,  and  in  the  act  of  driving  wedges  to  split  a  piece  of  wood. 

Plate  59,  fig.  4,  represents  an  old  stained  specimen  of  ivory  from 
Norton  Sound.  The  engravings  upon  this  are  rather  deep,  and  are 
filled  Avith  deep  brown  coloring  matter.  The  semicircular  objects  to 
the  right  of  the  middle,  some  being  shown  in  rather  an  angular  form 
toward  the  left  of  the  middle,  represent  habitations.  These  characters 
appear  in  a  more  conventionalized  form  and  for  decorative  purposes  in 
plate  U4,  fig.  5. 

The  chief  interest  attached  to  this  record  is  in  the  variety  of  forms 
of  habitations,  thus  enabling  one  to  perceive  the  differences  in  the 
variants  placed  in  consecutive  order.  The  two 
extremes  are  very  unlike,  and  would  scarcely  be 
recognized  as  portraying  a  similar  idea,  but  for  the 
intervening  examples  showing  the  evolution  in  the  « 
execution  of  form.  Fis- 69> 

The  two  elongated  figures  to  the  right  of  the  habi 
tations  denote  inverted  kaiaks  upon  racks  for  drying.  The  human  fig 
ures,  one  of  whom  is  shown  seated,  represent  natives  supplicating  a 
shaman  for  aid.  The  figure  has  both  arms  extended,  as  in  making  the 
gesture  for  supplication,  while  the  shaman,  standing  at  the  left,  has  his 
arms  and  hands  uplifted,  as  in  the  gesture  illustrated  in  several  figures 
relating  to  shamanistic  ceremonials,  termed  by  the  natives  as  "  agitating 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  853 

the  air"  in  order  to  call  to  him  his  tutelary  guardian,  who  is  to  aid  the 
shaman  in  success,  in  order  to  comply  with  the  request  made  of  him. 

Within  the  dome-shaped  habitation  nearest  the  shaman  is  an  accom 
paniment  of  tambourine  drumming,  while  two  assistants  are  also 
engaged  in  invocation. 

To  the  right  of  the  supplicant  is  a  repetition  of  his  own  form,  indi 
cating  his  harpooning  a  seal  or  other  animal,  while  still  further  toward 
the  end  of  the  rod  is  an  unfinished  figure  of  a  man  in  a  kaiak — probably 
the  supplicant  in  another  exploit  made  possible  through  the  shaman's 
assistance. 

Turning  the  bow  around  so  as  to  bring  the  convexity  beneath,  there 
appears  at  the  left  a  linear  outline  of  some  undetermined  animal,  near 
to  which  is  an  umiak  containing  three  men.  They  ar#  approaching  a 
settlement  indicated  by  two  forms  of  habitations,  a  dome-shaped  or 
permanent  one  and  a  triangular  or  temporary  shelter,  the  two  denot 
ing  both  kinds  constituting  the  village. 

Two  racks  are  visible,  a  single  one  from  which  are  suspended  numer 
ous  stands  of  meat  or  fish,  and  a  double  one,  similarly  filled  with  food. 
The  rude  outline  of  a  native  at  the  right  is  nearest  to  a  boat  lying  upon 
its  side,  beyond  which  are  the  outlines  of  four  waterfowl. 

Some  whales  are  next  portrayed.  The  one  with  the  nukes  above  the 
water,  and  the  spray  thrown  or  forced  from  the  spout  holes,  appears  to 
have  thrown  from  the  water  the  vessel  containing  four  natives.  Their 
vessel  is  curved,  making  a  slight  arch,  and  the  exposed  'end  seems 
broken  open. 

The  whale  beyond  this  is  harpooned  by  a  native  in  a  kaiak;  the 
inflated  float  is  still  upon  the  kaiak  behind  him,  indicating  that  not 
much  line  has  run  out,  as  the  whale,  also,  is  headed  to  ward  the  hunter. 

The  whale  to  the  right  of  the  preceding  character  has  the  tail  up  in 
the  air,  while  some  water  is  indicated  as  issuing  from  the  spout  hole. 
In  front  of  this  is  an  umiak  with  four  hunters  making  for  a  herd  of  wal 
ruses  on  and  about  a  ledge  of  rocks. 

The  rocks  are  indicated  by  the  short  markings  between  the  two  par 
allel  lines  denoting  them,  the  markings  consisting  of  the  pattern 
frequently  mentioned  herein  as  fish  trap,  and  of  which  numerous  illus 
trations  are  given,  as  on  plate  31,  fig.  2,  and  plate  36,  fig.  2,  and  on  the 
accompanying  plate  59,  fig.  3.  This  indication  of  rock  is  of  interest  in 
its  differentiation  from  ice,  as  a  solid  mass,  the  latter  being  drawn  only  to 
show  its  outline  as  a  floe,  the  interior  part  of  the  space  being  left  blank 
to  denote  its  colorless  or  transparent  condition.  On  the  same  plate, 
plate  50,  in  fig.  2,  is  shown  a  floe  upon  which  seals  are  taking  refuge. 

The  speaker,  or  rather  he  of  whom  the  record  treats,  in  plate  GO,  fig. 
8,  is  represented  at  No.  1.  His  right  hand  is  elevated  as  when  used  in 
gesticulating,  while  his  left  points  down  toward  the  foot  of  the  scaffold 
upon  which  is  a  repository  for  food.  The  two  scaffolds  at  No.  2  no 


854  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

doubt  belong  to  him,  and  form  part  of  the  village  indicated  by  the 
several  habitations  arid  storehouses. 

No.  3  is  a  dome-shaped  winter  habitation,  about  which  two  people  are 
occupied.  No.  4  is  another  granary  or  food  repository,  while  No.  5 
represents  a  second  house  upon  which  two  people  are  talking  very 
animatedly.  The  one  at  the  right  seems  to  be  requesting,  or  suppli 
cating,  both  hands  being  directed  upward  toward  the  one  spoken  to. 

No.  G  is  the  storage  place  for  food  and  other  articles,  while  in  No.  7 
we  find  another  dome  shaped  winter  house  with  the  inmates  in  view. 
A  third  person  is  standing  before  the  door,  while  under  the  accompany 
ing  scaffold  a  fourth  individual  is  visible. 

No.  9  represents  a  winter  house,  and  smoke  is  rising  from  the  place 
where  the  smoke  hole  is  usually  found.  The  smoke  looks  straight  and 
rigid,  resembling  a  tree.  The  two  people  seem  to  be  occupied  in  carry 
ing  something.  The  illustration  at  No.  10  is  a  scaffold  for  the  safe  loca 
tion  of  food,  and  Nos.  11,  13,  and  14  are  similar  structures,  whereas  No. 
12  is  a  warehouse,  probably  of  a  white  trader.  No.  15  is  a  winter  house, 
though  apparently  deserted. 

The  specimen  represented  in  plate  61  is  a  pipe  bearing  delicate  and 
elaborate  etchings  of  a  variety  of  subjects.  The  object  is  made  of  wal 
rus  ivory,  measuring  13J  inches  in  length,  If  inches  in  height  near  the 
insertion  of  the  bowl,  and  slightly  less  than  1  inch  in  transverse  diame 
ter  at  the  same  point.  The  perforation  at  the  mouthpiece  is  one-eighth 
of  an  inch  in  diameter. 

The  bowl  is  of  block  tin,  while  the  top  of  the  bowl  is  lined  with  a  thin 
sheet  of  perforated,  ornamented  brass.  The  caliber  of  the  bowl  is  only 
one-fourth  of  au  inch  in  diameter,  and  seems  to  have  been  made  in 
imitation  of  a  Chinese  pipe  bowl  and  possibly  for  the  same  style  of 
smoking. 

The  pipes,  like  others  of  like  form  from  the  same  locality,  at  St. 
Micliael'sf?],  have  been  said  to  have  been  made  for  sale  to  traders. 
That  may  be,  and  does  not  in  the  least  impair  the  interest  and  value 
of  the  pictographic  records  portrayed  upon  the  several  sides.  Though 
the  pipes  may  be  shaped,  to  a  limited  extent,  in  imitation  of  foreign 
shapes,  yet  the  pictography  remains  Eskimo,  made  by  an  Eskimo,  and 
to  portray  Eskimo  scenes  and  avocations. 

^The  upper  figure  of  the  pipe  presents  the  characters  on  the  left  side, 
and  beginning  at  the  extreme  left  is  observed  a  vertical  ornamental 
bar  or  border,  similar  to  those  drawn  along  the  lower  half  of  the  pipe 
stem,  though  in  the  latter  space  they  are  arranged  diagonally,  and 
made  to  separate  ornaments  consisting  of  concentric  rings,  ornaments 
to  which  special  reference  is  made  elsewhere. 

The  first  group  consists  of  two  persons  engaged  in  twisting  a  cord, 
though  the  suggestion  has  been  made  that  they  appear  to  be  engaged 
in  a  pastime  which  consists  in  making  string  figures,  similar  to  the 
American  boy's  "  cat's  cradle,"  etc.  The  figure  next  to  the  right  repre 
sents  the  end  view  of  a  building  having  two  rooms,  in  the  larger  of 


Report  of  U.  S    National  Museum,  1  895.  — Hoffman. 


PLATE  61. 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  855 

which  appear  two  persons  seated  playing  on  the  tambourine  drum, 
while  a  third  person  is  depicted  in  the  graceful  attitude  of  dancing 
"a  la  Ainericaine."  The  fourth  figure  is  crouching  or  kneeling  before 
the  hearth,  probably  to  light  a  fire,  as  none  appears  to  be  there,  as 
indicated  by  the  absence  of  smoke.  The  presence  of  fire  is  generally 
indicated  by  the  portrayal  of  short  lines  adhering  to  a  vertical  one,  to 
denote  smoke. 

Upon  the  outside  of  the  large  room  is  a  low  structure  containing  the 
second  room.  The  face  of  the  sun  is  painted  upon  the  wall,  in  reference 
to  the  return  of  the  sun  and  warm  w^eather — to  spring ;  and  the  drops 
of  water,  caused  by  the  melting  sun  or  ice  upon  the  roof,  are  shown 
dropping  from  a  short  wooden  carved  spout.  The  carving  seems  to 
have  been  made  in  imitation  of  similar  ones  found  among  the  T'hlinkit 
and  Haida  Indians.  The  above  dance  and  portrayal  of  the  sun  refers 
to  highly  important  and  complicated  ceremonials  observed  at  the  return 
of  the  sun  from  the  south. 

The  illustration  reaching  almost  across  the  ivory  space,  that  resem 
bling  light  lines  in  imitation  of  a  ladder,  is  a  fish  weir,  placed  in 
streams  for  catching  salmon,  and  one  of  these  fish  is  actually  shown 
approaching  the  opening  leading  to  the  iuclosure  in  which  the  game  is 
secured.  An  otter  is  also  drawn  approaching  the  fish  trap,  denoting 
the  destructive  habits  of  the  mammal  in  robbing  the  trap  of  fish  thus 
secured  and  unable  to  escape. 

The  rectangular  figure  immediately  behind  the  otter  appears  to  be  a 
view  of  the  top  of  a  boat  landing,  facing  tire  water,  and  upon  which 
are  two  persons,  one  seated  near  a  handled  vessel — probably  a  bucket 
or  basket — while  the  other  is  drawn  in  the  attitude  of  spearing  fish, 
the  entire  sketch  seeming  to  have  reference  to  another  method  of  secur 
ing  fish  for  food. 

Immediately  across  the  ivory  space,  and  along  the  opposite  base  line, 
are  observable  four  persons,  each  drumming  upon  his  medicine  drum 
and  approaching  a  dome-shaped  habitation,  within  which  are  portrayed 
two  persons,  crawling  forward  on  hands  and  knees  to  receive  from  a 
seated  figure  some  mysterious  or  magic  substance.  This  is  a  shaman- 
istic  ceremony,  in  which  some  charmed  medicines  are  secured,  and  by 
means  of  which  some  special  success  is  expected  in  the  chase. 

The  character  in  the  middle  of  the  ivory  rod,  nearest  to  the  dome- 
shaped  house,  is  a  spout  of  water,  at  the  narrow  end  of  which  is  a  trans 
verse  line,  with  a  shorter  one  within  the  inclosure.  These  two  lines 
denote  the  logs  of  wood  employed  by  the  beaver  in  building  a  dam. 
The  beaver  is  shown  swimming  toward  a  dark  spot,  which  seems  to 
consist  of  a  series  of  short  scratches,  and  which  denotes  the  deposit  of 
twigs  for  food,  while  the  rounded  dark  disk  upon  the  shore  line  repre 
sents  the  beaver's  house.  The  animal  is  accurately  portrayed,  the  tail 
being  especially  conspicuous  to  give  specific  indication  as  to  the  species 
of  animal  intended  to  be  shown. 

In  the  next  figure  is  represented  one  method  of  securing  deer.     The 


856  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL   MUSEUM,  1895. 

iii closure,  within  which  three  deer  are  shown,  is  a  pen  made  for  securing 
such  game,  the  fourth  animal  to  enter  having  been  driven  forward  from 
the  open  country  and  guided  toward  the  entrance  by  the  erection  of 
low  brush  fences,  as  will  be  observed,  extending  diagonally  toward  it 
from  the  base  lines  at  either  margin  of  the  ivory.  The  two  hunters, 
armed  with  bow  and  arrow,  are  seen  running  toward  the  inclosure  to 
shoot  the  deer. 

Beyond  the  rear  fence  or  inclosure  of  the  deep  pen  are  two  pine  trees. 
Upon  one  is  perched  a  bird,  while  half-way  up  the  other  is  a  small  mam 
mal.  The  latter  is  not  drawn  in  imitation  of  the  porcupine — as  else 
where  portrayed — and  it  may  be  intended  to  represent  the  marten. 
The  next  figure  is  a  black  bear,  erect  upon  his  hind  feet  and  being- 
attacked  by  a  hunter  armed  with  a  spear. 

The  next  scene  is  a  snare  trap,  which  has  caught  and  suspended  in 
the  air  a  small  animal.  The  trap  is  surrounded  by  vertical  sticks  so 
arranged  about  the  baited  part  that,  to  cause  it  to  be  sprung,  the  ani 
mal  can  reach  the  bait  only  at  one  open  space.  The  noose  is  arranged 
so  as  to  catch  the  animal  about  the  neck,  in  imitation  of  the  American 
boy's  rabbit  snare. 

The  next  trap  shown  consists  of  a  log,  or  sapling,  resting  upon  a 
short  upright  piece,  so  that  when  the  bait  is  touched  the  log  will  fall 
and  secure,  by  crushing,  the  animal  so  unfortunate  as  to  enter.  The 
top  is  weighted  by  extra  pieces  of  timber  and  sometimes  stones,  secured 
so  as  not  to  fall  off.  A  small  animal  is  seen  approaching  the  trap  from 
one  side,  while  from  the  other  is  seen  approaching  a  bear;  the  idea 
being  that  this  arrangement  or  kind  of  trap  is  employed  in  securing 
both  kinds  of  animals.  The  small  deer  and  men  shown  along  the  oppo 
site  base  line  represent  two  hunters  disguised  in  wolf  skins  so  as  to 
more  readily  approach  within  shooting  distance  of  the  reindeer,  while 
the  third  has  gone  forward  and  shot  an  arrow,  which  is  seen  in  its  flight- 
approaching  an  animal. 

The  last  figure  of  the  group  is  a  fallen  reindeer  upon  which  one  bird 
of  prey  has  alighted  and  another  is  seen  descending.  The  feathers  in 
the  outstretched  wings  are  clearly  indicated  and  the  attitude  is  very 
lifelike. 

The  upper  ridge  of  the  right  side  of  the  pipestem  also  bears  some 
interesting  scenes.  That  on  the  section  nearest  the  bowl  contains  two 
human  figures,  one  representing  a  native  in  the  attitude  of  kicking  a 
ball,  his  leg  being  still  in  the  air,  while  the  other  person  is  portrayed 
as  reaching  out  his  hands  as  if  to  catch  the  ball  as  it  descends.  The 
illustration  next  toward  the  left  represents  a  habitation  with  two  rooms, 
in  the  larger  of  which  is  a  horizontal  line,  midway  between  the  floor 
and  ceiling,  denoting  the  shelf  used  as  seats  and  for  sleeping.  Upon 
this  shelf  are  seven  persons,  five  of  whom  are  represented  as  drum 
ming,  using  the  ordinary  tambourine  for  the  purpose. 

Beneath  are  five  characters,  four  being  shamans,  while  the  fifth,  a 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  857 

smaller  one,  shown  as  horizontal  in  the  air,  is  the  demon  which  has  been 
expelled  from  a  sick  man.  The  smaller  apartment  shows  one  person 
with  a  dish,  or  pan,  probably  preparing  food  for  the  participants  in  the 
ceremonials  conducted  within  the  adjoining  room. 

Outside  of  the  house  is  a  man  portrayed  in  the  act  of  splitting  wood, 
the  log  beneath  his  feet  having  two  wedges  projecting  which  are  being 
driven  in  to  split  the  timber.  A  second  individual  is  pushing  at  his 
dog  sledge,  he  having  returned  with  a  load,  as  may  be  observed,  the 
logs  still  in  position  at  the  front  of  the  sledge. 

The  figure  next  to  the  preceding  is  seated  upon  the  ground  and 
apparently  mending  his  net.  The  characters  above  the  wood  chopper 
and  the  returning  traveler  are  drawn  upon  the  opposing  base  line. 
The  figure  in  the  attitude  of  running  is  going  to  the  assistance  of  one 
who  has  caught  a  seal,  the  latter  resisting  capture  by  the  use  of  his 
flippers,  which  are  drawn  extended  from  the  body  to  denote  their  use 
in  the  present  instance.  The  ring  indicates  a  hole  in  the  ice,  while  the 
bar  held  in  the  hands  is  the  piece  of  wood  to  which  the  line  is  secured. 

The  illustration  of  fishing  through  the  ice  is  shown  in  several  records, 
but  in  none  more  graphically  than  in  the  figure  nearest  to  the  seal 
hunter  above  referred  to.  The  native  is  here  shown  seated,  and  before 
him  is  a  fish  lying  attached  to  a  short  line  by  which  it  is  secured,  while 
with  the  other  hand  the  fisherman  is  holding  his  rod,  the  line  passing 
through  a  hole,  and  beneath  are  shown  the  sinker  and  hook,  while  a 
fish  is  seen  approaching  to  take  hold.  The  representation  of  the  trans 
parency  of  the  ice  was  no  doubt  beyond  the  ability  of  the  artist,  and  he 
therefore  very  wisely  made  no  attempt  at  any  indication  of  a  surface 
line. 

By  turning  over  the  pipestem  the  record  may  be  renewed  at  the  fig 
ure  of  the  umiak,  containing  five  hunters,  four  of  whom  are  using  the 
paddles,  whilst  the  fifth  is  throwing  a  harpoon  toward  a  large  walrus. 
This  creature  has  already  been  harpooned  by  a  hunter  in  a  kaiak,  who 
is  holding  up  one  hand  with  his  fingers  spread,  while  in  the  other  hand 
he  holds  his  paddle.  Upon  the  stern  of  the  kaiak  is  the  float,  used  in 
connection  with  the  harpoon  line.  A  second  walrus  is  observed  imme 
diately  behind  the  harpooned  animal. 

At  the  extreme  left  of  the  stem  is  a  crouching  or  kneeling  hunter 
preparing  to  throw  a  harpoon  at  a  seal  or  female  walrus,  from  whose 
mouth  drops  of  water  or  perhaps  blood  are  seen  to  trickle. 

Upon  the  opposing  base  line  of  the  pipestem  is  a  single  whale  hunter 
in  his  boat,  a  small  whale  having  been  harpooned,  while  to  the  line  a 
large  skin  float  is  attached  to  impede  the  animal's  motion.  The  other 
whale  is  escaping,  and  the  water  is  shown  spouting  from  the  nostrils 
of  both  animals. 

The  ornamentation  upon  the  two  lower  sides,  as  well  as  the  tree-like 
figures  near  the  mouthpiece,  will  be  discussed  in  connection  with  the 
evolution  of  ornamentation. 


858  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

The  specimen  represented  in  the  upper  figure  in  plate  62  measures 
12  inches  in  length  along  the  central  line  and  If  inches  in  height  at 
the  back  of  the  bowl.  The  latter  measures  2£  inches  across  the  top 
and  is  1J  inches  in  height.  The  pipestem  is  made  of  a  fine  compact 
piece  of  walrus  ivory,  which  retains  some  of  its  lateral  curvature  as 
well  as  that  visible  from  the  front  view.  The  bowl  is  symmetrical  and 
was  undoubtedly  turned  on  a  lathe. 

The  characters  portrayed  along  the  middle  base  line,  beginning 
nearest  the  mouthpiece,  represent,  first,  a  seal,  then  two  water  fowl.  A 
walrus  then  appears  above  the  surface  and  is  looking  after  the  umiak, 
which  has  passed  in  pursuit  of  a  whale,  and  which  creature  has  been 
attacked  by  one  of  the  hunters.  The  second  hunter  is  holding  aloft 
his  oar,  a  signal  to  indicate  to  others  near  by  that  assistance  is  wanted. 
The  other  men  in  the  umiak  are  using  the  paddle  so  as  to  keep  pace 
with  the  whale,  which  is  shown  spouting. 

The  elevated  scaffold  which  is  next  portrayed  was  a  notched  piece 
of  timber  set  in  place  to  serve  as  a  ladder,  and  one  person  is  shown 
ascending,  a  bundle  being  attached  to  his  back — probably  food — as  the 
other  person  on  the  scaffold  is  occupied  in  preparing  food  of  some  kind, 
which  is  then  suspended  from  the  horizontal  poles,  as  shown  in  the 
etching.  The  next  illustration,  to  the  right,  represents  a  fisherman 
hauling  up  his  net  to  dry,  while  another  man  is  occupied  in  splitting 
wood,  the  wedges  used  for  the  purpose  being  shown  in  the  log  at  the 
end  resting  upon  another  piece  of  wood  or  a  stone. 

The  house,  which  comes  next  in  order,  has  two  rooms,  upon  the  roof 
of  the  smaller  one  being  shown  an  individual  carrying  into  the  house 
some  pieces  of  wood,  which  have  been  split  by  the  wood  chopper.  The 
horizontal  line  at  the  top  of  the  large  room  has  suspended  from  it  small 
round  objects  which  denote  some  kind  of  food  5  and  at  the  middle  line, 
the  shelf,  used  as  a  bed  or  for  seat,  shows  three  persons;  the  first  one, 
with  one  leg  hanging  down,  is  pointing,  or  reaching,  toward  a  dish 
containing  food,  as  the  second  has  already  placed  some  into  his  mouth. 
The  third  person  is  lying  down,  with  legs  curved  and  his  head  resting 
upon  a  pillow  or  bale  of  some  material  found  convenient  for  the  pur 
pose.  The  person  seated  upon  the  floor  does  not  seem  specially  occu 
pied,  and  directly  behind  is  a  vertical  line,  upon  which  is  a  lamp,  the 
usual  method  of  constructing  these  being  that  of  placing  two  soapstone 
lamps  upon  a  crosspiece,  so  as  to  balance,  the  center  of  the  latter  being- 
secured  to  a  vertical  stick. 

The  last  illustration  denotes  a  dome-shaped  structure  with  a  smoke 
hole  in  the  roof,  one  person  being  apparently  busied  with  his  pipe, 
while  the  other  has  before  him  a  kettle,  in  which  he  is  stirring  with  a 
stick  or  ladle.  Between  the  two  persons  is  the  fire,  from  which  the 
smoke  is  seen  to  rise  and  to  escape  through  the  opening  at  the  top. 

Within  the  small  room  of  the  house  above  mentioned  is  a  short 
vertical  line,  to  which  are  attached  some  small  globular  figures.  The 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895.  — Hoffman. 


PLATE  62. 


Report  of  U.  S    National  Museum,  1  895  -Hoffman. 


PLATE  63. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  859 

line  represents  the  spout  and  is  on  the  outside  of  the  house,  while  the 
globules  denote  drops  of  water — similar  to  those  portrayed  on  the  pipe 
with  the  metal  bowl,  plate  61 — and  refers  to  tlie  melting  of  the  snow 
upon  the  roof,  as  the  approach  of  spring  is  referred  to  especially.  On 
the  opposite  side  of  the  specimen,  the  first  character  is  a  man,  with  a 
bundle  on  his  back,  running  in  the  direction  of  an  inclosure  and  deer 
drive.  Two  reindeer  are  already  in  the  pen,  while  three  animals  are 
running  toward  it,  closely  pursued  by  the  drivers,  one  of  which  is 
armed  with  bow  and  undoubtedly  also  arrows. 

The  third  person,  walking  along  the  upper  base  line,  is  in  attendance 
at  a  fish  trap,  into  which  four  fish  are  seen  to  swim.  Beyond  this  is  a  tall 
pine,  upon  the  summit  being  a  bird,  and  half-way  up,  a  small  mammal. 

The  scaffold  beyond  this  has  upon  the  roof  a  man  engaged  in  hang 
ing  up  deer,  which  have  been  captured  and  brought  home  by  the  two 
men  at  the  dog  sledge,  upon  which  is  another  deer.  Immediately  above 
these  figures  is  a  man  leading  a  dog  hitched  to  a  sled  and  thus  dragging 
home  two  seals — the  latter  represented  upon  their  backs,  just  as  these 
animals  are  gotten  along  easily  on  account  of  the  abundance  of  hair.  A 
large  bear  is  shown  upon  his  haunches,  one  native  attacking  him  with  a 
spear,  while  the  second  person  has  started  to  run  away  after  shooting 
an  arrow  into  the  bear's  back.  The  remaining  two  figures  denote  two 
kinds  of  traps  used  in  catching  small  animals,  one  being  caught  by  a 
noose,  while  the  second  is  a  deadfall. 

Upon  the  upper  base  line,  beginning  nearest  to  the  tall  pine  tree 
already  described,  one  man  is  shown  attempting  to  take  a  somersault, 
possibly  as  a  pictorial  portrayal  of  the  sense  of  joy  at  the  return  of 
summer;  the  second  person  has  a  rod  which  he  is  dragging  home. 
The  two  dogs  are  very  cleverly  portrayed,  while  the  man  next  to  the 
left  is  spearing  an  otter.  The  animal  upon  the  ground  seems  to  be 
intended  for  a  marten. 

A  clever  sketch  is  presented  in  the  next  illustration,  in  which  a  native, 
with  a  pack  on  his  back  and  a  small  bucket  in  his  hand,  is  gathering 
berries. 

The  record  ends  with  a  deer,  which  has  been  secured  by  means  of 
suspending  a  strong  noose  over  a  path  or  trail  frequented  by  the 
animal.  The  hunter  has  come  up  to  kill  the  captive  with  a  spear. 

The  decorative  designs  are  treated  of  elsewhere. 

The  specimen  shown  in  plate  G3  measures  10|  inches  in  length,  1J 
inches  in  height  at  the  highest  part  near  the  bowl  space,  and  seven- 
eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter. 

This  differs  from  the  other  pipes  in  the  manner  of  placing  the  engrav 
ings,  these  occupying  the  lower  spaces,  while  the  upper  bear  the  con 
centric  rings  and  diagonal  lines.  The  left-hand  figure  in  the  upper 
illustration  in  the  plate  denotes  a  habitation  with  its  entrance.  Seated 
upon  the  projecting  shelf  seat  is  the  drummer,  holding  the  tambourine 
drum  in  one  hand  while  with  the  other  he  grasps  a  drumstick.  The 


860  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

other  figures  are  the  dancers,  in  various  attitudes,  with  hands  and 
fingers  extended.  Upon  the  roof  of  the  entrance  are  two  men  in  simi 
lar  attitudes,  while  within  the  entrance  is  one  figure  of  a  man  in  the 
attitude  of  falling  forward  upon  the  ground.  The  dance  does  not  appear 
to  be  a  shamanistic  ceremony,  as  otherwise  the  indication  of  a  demon 
would  be  observed. 

In  front  of  the  entrance  is  a  group  of  figures  in  a  threatening  atti 
tude,  especially  one  of  the  men,  who  appears  to  be  drawing  his  bow  with 
the  intention  of  shooting  his  vis-a-vis,  who  has  a  hand  up  as  if  guard 
ing  his  face.  There  appears  to  have  been  a  discussion  respecting  a 
seal — lying  upon  the  ground  between  the  men — which  resulted  as 
suggested. 

The  next  figure  is  shown  in  the  attitude  of  spearing  a  seal  in  the 
water,  the  spear  bladder  being  shown  at  the  upper  end  of  the  weapon. 
The  next  man  is  dragging  home  a  seal,  while  the  next  following  is 
engaged  with  a  like  animal,  stooping  down  at  the  tail  and  for  some 
purpose  not  indicated. 

The  large  creature  lying  upon  the  base  line,  next  to  the  right,  is  a 
whale.  One  of  the  hunters  has  a  hatchet  and  is  cutting  up  the  ani 
mal,  while  the  two  assistants  are  otherwise  engaged  at  either  end. 
Next  toward  the  right,  is  another  hunter  in  the  act  of  dragging  along 
upon  a  sledge  his  kaiak.  The  last  person  to  follow  has  upon  his  sledge 
a  seal  which  has  been  captured. 

Apart  from  the  ornamentation  in  the  upper  ridge,  there  are  two  seals 
visible  at  the  left. 

Upon  the  reverse  side  of  the  pipestem  shown  in  the  lower  figure  in 
plate  GjJ  the  regular  ornamentation  occurs  likewise  along  the  upper 
face,  only  two  compartments  at  the  extreme  right  being  reserved  for 
the  figures  of  seals. 

Beginning  at  the  right-hand  end,  and  with  the  lower  plane,  a  habi 
tation,  similar  to  the  one  upon  the  opposite  side,  is  portrayed,  the  only 
difference  being  that  there  are  two  human  figures  drawn  within  the 
entrance  to  the  home  instead  of  one. 

Another  figure  of  a  man  is  upon  the  outside,  seemingly  leaning 
against  the  door,  while  behind  him  are  two  men  in  mortal  combat,  one 
preparing  to  thrust  his  spear,  while  the  other  has  a  drawn  bow  with 
arrow  directed  forward  toward  his  victim.  Some  plants  are  shown 
upon  the  ground,  which  may  have  been  the  cause  of  the  quarrei  which 
seems  to  be  indicated. 

Doctor  A.  Warburg,  of  Florence,  Italy,  kindly  sent  me  sketches 
taken  from  a  pipe  similar  to  the  preceding,  which  he  founa  in  the  col 
lection  of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History  in  New  York 
City.  An  interesting  pipe  from  St.  Michaels  is  in  the  collection  of  the 
Georgetown  College,  Washington,  District  of  Columbia.  The  story 
told  by  the  etchings  is  the  same  as  in  plate  <>2,  and  it  appears  as  if  a 
certain  person,  or  persons,  were  the  author  of  all  of  these  examples,  the 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  8G1 

characteristics  of  the  etchings  being  the  same,  as  well  as  the  general 
import  of  the  narrative.  In  the  Georgetown  College  specimen,  how 
ever,  the  base  line  above  or  against  which  are  shown  the  figures  in 
various  pursuits  and  avocations  extends  from  the  front  or  bowl  end 
spirally  around  the  stem  back  to  the  mouthpiece.  This  is  unique  so  far 
as  known,  and  appears  to  be  simply  a  fancy  on  the  part  of  the  maker 
to  cause  quicker  sale"  of  the  specimen,  nearly  all  of  this  class  of  ivory 
workmanship  being  made  for  sale  to  visitors. 

Plate  24,  fig.  2,  is  a  triangularly  shaped  drill  bow  from  Sledge 
Island.  It  is  13.4  inches  in  length.  The  three  sides  are  very  fully  deco 
rated,  the  back  of  the  bow  bearing  the  greatest  amount  of  work. 
The  three  square  figures  at  the  left  represent  scaffolds,  upon  which 
storehouses  are  located.  Between  these  are  two  elongated  figures  rep 
resenting  winter  habitations.  Upon  the  house  at  the  left  are  four 
human  figures  in  various  attitudes  of  gesticulation.  The  thin  vertical 
line  at  the  right  of  the  entrance,  having  a  small  transverse  scratch  at 
the  top,  denotes  a  votive  offering,  indicating  that  one  of  the  occupants 
of  the  house  was  lately  deceased.  Five  men  are  seen  under  and  about 
the  second  storehouse.  Upon  the  next  or  second  habitation  from  the 
left  are  four  human  beings,  the  larger  being  on  all  fours,  as  if  in  the 
attitude  of  watching  those  just  mentioned.  The  next  figure  is  occu 
pied  with  some  small  object  at  a  fire,  the  smoke  of  which  is  seen  rising. 

Of  the  two  succeeding  figures,  one  is  apparently  holding  a  line,  while 
the  other  appears  to  be  occupied  in  some  gymnastic  performance. 
Beyond  the  next  storehouse  is  another  habitation.  Beside  the  two 
human  figures  will  be  observed  smoke  issuing  from  the  fire,  and  a  rack 
upon  which  are  suspended  some  objects,  possibly  meat,  or  some  other 
materials.  The  fourth  habitation  from,  the  left,  somewhat  larger  and 
more  rudely  drawn  than  the  preceding,  also  has  upon  the  roof  five 
individuals,  with  arms  and  legs  in  various  attitudes.  The  two  vertical 
lines  with  a  horizontal  pole  between  them  represent  a  meat  rack,  and 
the  other  lines  indicate  meat  or  fish.  The  six  human  figures  immedi 
ately  to  the  right  of  this  meat  rack  are  placed  so  that  the  heads  point 
toward  the  center  of  the  record,  while  the  feet  of  three  rest  on  the  bot 
tom  base  line,  and  the  feet  of  the  other  three  on  the  top  base  line. 
This  is  intended  to  represent  the  idea  of  a  circle,  as  the  individuals  are 
engaged  in  a  ceremonial  dance.  One  of  them,  evidently  the  shaman, 
is  shown  with  three  lines  projecting  from  the  head,  possibly  indicating 
a  mask.  From  this  point  to  the  right  end  of  the  drill  bow  the  record 
occupies  both  top  and  bottom  lines  of  the  illustration.  Upon  the 
dwelling  to  the  right  of  the  dancers  are  four  human  figures,  one  with 
a  spear  directed  toward  a  deer,  while  the  individual  on  the  top  of  the 
roof  is  pointing  with  one  hand  toward  the  animals,  and  his  companion 
has  both  arms  raised  in  exclamation.  The  square  elevated  structure, 
adjoining  the  house,  represents  a  storehouse.  At  the  top  of  the  rod, 
above  these  human  figures,  Is  a  man  dragging  home  a  seal  which  he 


862  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

lias  captured,  while  in  front  of  him  stands  a  reindeer  which  is  being 
shot  at  by  a  native  who  is  armed  with  bow  and  arrow.  A  little  farther 
to  the  left,  upon  the  same  line,  a  man  is  lying  flat  upon  the  ground 
with  his  gun  directed  toward  the  deer.  Between  the  two  elevated 
storehouses  are  eighteen  natives  in  various  attitudes,  participating  in 
a  dance.  At  the  right  is  a  winter  habitation,  upon  which  an  Indian 
stands  with  one  hand  elevated,  the  object  in  his  hand  evidently  denot 
ing  a  tambourine  drum.  A  votive  offering  is  shown  over  the  entrance 
to  the  habitation,  while  to  the  right  is  seen  rising  a  column  of  smoke. 
Upon  the  scaffold  beneath  the  square  part  of  the  structure  represent 
ing  the  storehouse  is  an  inverted  boat  suspended  for  drying.  A  partly 
obliterated  figure  of  a  human  being  occupies  the  space  between  the 
storehouse  and  the  end  of  the  rod.  The  under  sides  of  the  bow  are 
filled  with  figures  of  habitations,  racks  from  which  are  suspended 
pieces  of  meat,  and  individuals  occupied  with  various  domestic  duties. 
One  portion  of  another  part  of  the  record  represents  an  umiak  going 
away  from  land  toward  some  small  objects  which  are  believed  to  repre 
sent  seal,  while  on  the  shore  are  represented  four  men  dragging  at  a 
large  animal,  possibly  intended  to  represent  a  seal,  and  in  front  of  (hem 
a  dog  is  hitched  to  another  seal,  dragging  it  home  to  the  camp,  possibly 
to  the  left. 

Plate  64,  fig.  3,  also  represents  an  ivory  drill  bow  from  Diomede 
Islands.  The  ornamentation  shown  at  the  left  end  of  the  illustration 
is  an  attempt  at  duplicating  the  peculiar  zigzag  markings,  the  simple 
form  of  which  is  shown  in  plate  31,  fig.  4.  The  next  oblong  figure  on 
four  piles  represents  a  granary  or  food  storehouse.  Next  is  shown  a 
human  being  with  his  arms  extended  in  the  act  of  making  some  ges 
ture.  To  the  right  of  this  is  a  building  resembling  a  white  man's 
habitation  or  trader's  store.  The  mammal  to  the  right  of  this  repre 
sents  a  bear.  Next  come  the  figures  of  two  walruses,  and  beyond  the 
middle  to  the  right  is  the  outline  of  a  large  bear  in  the  attitude  of  eat 
ing  some  mammal  which  he  has  captured  at  the  seashore,  apparently 
a  seal  or  large  fish.  To  the  right  of  this  is  a  very  crude  figure,  some 
what  resembling  a  whale,  with  the  tail  elevated  and  the  head  down, 
though  from  the  " blowholes"  there  appears  to  be  some  spray  ascend 
ing.  The  latter  seems  to  be  represented  by  dots  instead  of  the  usual 
short  lines.  To  the  right  of  this,  upon  the  base  line,  is  a  long-necked 
animal  denoting  a  seal,  and  beyond,  at  the  extreme  right,  is  a  granary 
or  storehouse  elevated  upon  piles.  Turning  the  specimen  so  that  the 
upper  line  becomes  the  base  line  there  will  be  observed  at  the  left,  to 
the  right  of  the  granary  just  mentioned,  a  figure  of  a  seal,  next  two  fair 
outlines  of  trees,  and  a  walrus.  The  pointed  figure,  almost  triangular 
in  shape,  appears  to  denote  a  summer  habitation.  The  character  in  the 
middle  of  the  record,  apparently  a  scaffolding,  is  not  clearly  determin- 
able,  as  it  seems  to  indicate  from  one  point  of  view  a  granary  upon  a 
scaffold,  but  the  projec^on  at  the  left  with  two  short  vertical  lines 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  863 

depending-  therefrom  suggests  an  attempt  at  denoting-  some  form  of 

animal,  which  seems  obscured  by  the  square  structure  attached  to  the 

opposite  line.     A  little  farther  to  the  left  is  the  figure  of  a  man  with 

arms  outstretched,  and  beyond  this  the  body  of  a  walrus  with  huge 

tusks.     On  the  opposite  side  of  the  record,  at  the  extreme  right,  is 

portrayed  a  rock  projecting  from  the  sea,  upon  Which 

are  resting  four  seals.     A  short  distance  beyond  these  aflf 

is  seen  an  umiak,  and  toward  the  left  a  whale,  from      •     I  1*  f  f  \ 

above  the  head  of  which  is  indicated  by  simple  little 

PICKING    BERK1K8. 

triangular  dots  an  explosion  of  spray,  as  is  shown  in 
the  figure  upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  drill  bow.  This  is  of  peculiar 
interest,  and  indicates  either  inexperience  in  portraiture  on  the  part  of 
the  native  artist  or  a  high  degree  in  conventionalizing.  The  remaining 
figures  can  be  readily  determined  and  need  no  further  interpretation. 
Upon  the  narrow  convex  edge  of  the  bow  in  the  center  of  the  entire 
record  is  the  outline  of  another  whale  with  the 
triangular  dots  for  spray  being  arranged  a  little 
nearer  together  so  as  to  approach  more  nearly  the 
usual  method  of  indicating  spray  or  water  thrown 
Fig-71-  from  the  blowholes.  To  the  right  of  this  is  a  wal 

rus  and  five  seals,  while  to  the  left  is  a  seal  with 
its  young  on  its  back,  and  other  characters  readily  determiuable  by  the 
reader  without  further  explanation.  The  bottom  of  the  bow  bears  a 
continuous  series  for  more  than  half  of  its  entire  length  of  conventional 
ized  seal  heads,  indicating  ornamentation  rather  than  an  attempt  at  a 
historical  record. 

Fig.  70  represents  a  native  picking  berries.  This  illustration  is  of 
peculiar  interest,  as  the  nucleated  circles  upon  the  short  leaved  stems 
denote  the  fruit.  The  same  figure  with  the  blossom,  in  which  the  three 
short  radiating  lines  are  added  to  denote  the  flower,  is  shown  on  plate 
46  in  the  powder  measure.  Upon  this  too  are  the  short  lines  running 
downward  from  the  ring  011  the  measure,  to  which  are  attached  three 
berries,  i.  e.,  three  nucleated  circles. 
The  engraving  represented  in  fig.  71  is  selected  from  a  series  of  charac- 


Fig.72.  Fig.  73. 

CUTTING  UP  REINDEER.  CUTTING  UP  REINDEER. 

ters  on  an  ivory  drill,  locality  unknown.  The  horizontal  body  represents 
a  walrus,  lying  on  its  back,  being  cut  up  by  the  two  men,  the  one  at  the 
left  hand  using  a  cleaver,  while  his  companion  is  otherwise  engaged  at 
the  head  of  the  animal.  The  artistic  execution,  apparent,  is  extraordi 
narily  good ;  the  lines  being  deep  single  creases,  indicating  the  engraver 
to  kave  been  thoroughly  experienced  in  the  use  of  the  graver. 


864  REPORT   OF   NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

Two  illustrations  of  natives  cutting  up  reindeer  are  shown  in  figs.  72 
and  73.  Both  are  very  cleverly  drawn,  the  limbs  of  reindeer  being 
very  naturally  indicated,  as  assumed  in  dead  animals. 

A  very  clever  sketch  of  a  native  fishing  through  a  hole  in 
the  ice  is  shown  in  fig.  74.     The  hole  is  indicated  by  a  small 
^ — ^J      circle  while  the  ice  itself  is  not  shown — that  being  trans 
parent.     One  fish  has  already  been  caught,  as  shown  above. 
t  ^^      The  absence  of  lines  to  denote  ice  is  similarly  evident  in  the 
rig.  74.       Kolguev  illustration  on  plate  10. 

CATCHING        ^  seaj  caught  through  the  ice  is  shown  in  fig.  75,  the  hole 
being  shown  back  of  the  hunter  by  the  single  form  of  a  loop, 
as  in  the  illustration  referring  to  seal  spearing,  fig.  76,  where  the  hole 
is  again  indicated  by  a  circle  on  the  ice  line. 

This  scene  is  taken  from  the  Ohuckche  chart, 
though  the  drawing  is  evidently  of  Eskimo  type. 
The  small  loop  above  the  nose  of  the  seal  is 
simply  an  indication  that  there  is  a  hole  in  the 
ice,  made  by  the  seal  for  breathing. 

A  like  specimen  of  Alaskan  work  is  shown  in  fig.  Fig.  75. 

77,  where  only  the  surface  of  the  ice  is  shown,  and    CATCHING  SEAL  THROUGH  THE 
the  figure  of  animal  is  absent — beneath  the  surface. 
The  artistic  execution  of  the  several  objects  portrayed  in  fig.  78  is 
rather  crude.     The  two  summer  habitations  or  tents  at  the 
left  have  between  them  a  long  pole  from  which  are  sus 
pended  cords  for  the  reception  of  fish  for  curing.    The 
person  engaged  in  hanging  up  this  article  of  food  is  drawn 
in  a  crouched  or  seated  manner,  not  because  he  or  she 
was  so  seated,  but  because  the  figure  was  made  too  large 
rig.  76.          for  tue  Space  within  which  to  represent  it  in  an  upright 

SPEARING  SEAL.  . .  .  „..  .  ,       , 

position.  Figures  in  a  seated  pos 
ture  are  always  placed  in  contact  with  the  sur 
face  upon  which  they  are  presumed  to  be  so 
located,  either  upon  the  ground,  in  a  canoe,  or 
on  a  projecting  shelf  inside  of  the  dwelling. 
The  circumstance  of  a  sick  person  being  brought  Fig.  77. 

before  a   shaman  for  treatment  is  quite  differ-  SPEARING  SEAL. 

ent,  as  in  such  instances  the  human  figure  is 

drawn  as  if  lying  down  and  may  not  be  in  contact  with  the  ground. 
The  tree-like  figure  at  the  right  of  the  tent  is  smoke  arising  from 

the  fire.    The  two  roofed  buildings  are 
built  in  imitation  of  the  habitations  of 
white  traders,  one  of  them  having  a  door 
Fig.  78.  at  the   side,   and  a  covered  portico,   or 

platform,  at  the  side. 

The  scene  on  the  flat  piece  of  bone  shown  in  fig.  79  represents  sev 
eral  subjects.  In  the  upper  half,  at  the  right,  is  a  summer  shelter, 
within  which  are  two  figures.  One  is  seated  upon  the  floor,  while  the 


y 


EXPLANATION     OF    PLATE    64. 


Fig.  1.  DRILL  Bow  WITH  THREE  FACES,  ORNAMENTED  WITH  PICTOGRAPIIS. 

(Cat.  No.  38887,  U.  S.  N.  M.     [Accession  number  in  record  book  is  38886.]     From  north 

side  of  Norton  Sound.     Collected  by  E.  "W.  Nelson.) 
Fig.  2.  DRILL  Bow  STAINED  WITH  AGE. 

(Cat.  No.  63622,  V.  S.  X.  M.     Diomede  Islands.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  3.  DRILL  Bow. 

(Cat.  No.  49163,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Diomede,  Islands.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895.— Hoffr 


PLATE  64. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895. — Hoffman. 


PLATE  65. 


'   ORNAMENTED  CYLINDRICAL  CASES. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    65. 


Fig.  1.  HUNTING  TALLY. 

(Cat.  No.  iJ9437,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Point  Barrow.     Collected  by  Lieut,  P.  H.  Hay,  T7.  S.  A.) 

Fig.  2.  POWDER  HORN  OF  ANTLER. 

(Cat.  Xo.  129221,  U.  S.  N.  M.     St.  Michaels.     Collected  by  L.  W.  Turner.) 

Fig.  3.  IVORY  Box  FOR  SNUFF,  FUNGUS,  ETC. 

(Cat,  No.  64186,  TJ.  S.  N.  M.     Hot-ham  Inlet.     Collected  by  I.  ^Y.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  4.  THREAD  CASE  OF  REINDEER  HORN. 

(Cat.  No.  50615.     [Locality '!]     Collected  by  Lieut,  P.  H.  Kay,  U.  S.  A.) 


f   fa 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS. 


865 


other  has  his  hands  extended  and  elevated,  as  if  calling  attention  to 
something-  of  importance,  or  making  the  gesture  for  surprise.  The  tall 
tree-like  object  next  to  the  habitation  is  a  column  of  smoke  arising 
from  a  heap  of  burning  wood,  visible  upon  the  ground,  while  to  the  left, 
against  the  lire,  is  a  kettle,  in  which  some  one  is  stirring  with  a  stick. 
That  the  person  is  tired  appears  to  be  indicated  by  his  resting  his  hand 
upon  his  knee  as  he  leans  forward  toward  his  work.  The  rack,  bearing 
a  long  horizontal  pole,  is  next  toward  the  left,  and  beneath  it  is  a  man 
hanging  up  fish,  which  has  been  prepared  by  the  one  at  the  fire.  The 
individual  has  a  piece  of  meat  raised  toward  the  bar,  while  ^  fore  him. 
is  a  vessel  from  which  it  was  removed.  The  long  net  stretched  from 
the  left-hand  scaffold  pole  to  the  end  of  the  record  is  a  gill  net,  a  form 
used  to  set  in  shallow  water  and  generally  stretched  at  right  angles  to 
the  shore  line,  in  which  manner  more  fish  are  intercepted  than  if  it 
were  parallel  therewith. 

The  small  projections  above  and  below  the  net  are  floats  and  sinkers. 

Plate  65,  fig.  2,  shows  a  powderhorn  made  of  antler.  It  was  obtained 
at  St.  Michaels.  The  specimen  is  decorated  by  incisions  cut  length 
wise,  to  both  sides  of 
which  are  attached 
various  figures  of  ani- 
mals,  birds,  and 
human  habitations. 
The  principal  figure 
shown  in  the  illustra 
tion  represents  three 
summer  habitations, 

while  one  of  the  natives  is  occupied  in  suspending  meat  from  a  drying 
pole.  At  the  left  of  this  is  a  habitation  beneath  which  is  shown  another 
habitation,  inverted,  in  which  are  portrayed  four  human  beings.  To  the 
left  is  a  fox,  or  wolf,  holding  in  its  paws  some  small  creature,  evidently 
game  which  it  has  captured.  The  animal  seems  to  be  pursued  by  a  bird 
of  prey  shown  to  the  left,  both  having  probably  been  hunting  the  same 
quarry. 

Plate  65,  fig.  3,  represents  a  so-called  ivory  box  for  snuff,  though  the 
specimen  appears  to  be  made  of  horn.  This  was  obtained  at  Hotham 
Inlet.  The  specimen  is  divided  into  four  different  compartments  by 
means  of  transverse  lines,  each  line  consisting  of  parallel  incisions 
decorated  as  in  plate  28,  figs.  2  and  4.  The  spaces  contain  representa 
tions  of  fish,  sledges,  tree  ornamentations,  and  various  other  charac 
ters,  notably  the  outlines  of  a  number  of  human  beings,  apparently 
dancers  with  rattles. 

Plate  14,  fig.  2,  represents  a  bone  or  reindeer-horn  specimen  from  St. 

Michaels.    Upon  the  lower  side,  at  the  left,  is  represented  a  boat  with 

four  white  men  carrying  out  supplies  from  a  trader's  store,  within 

which  and  behind  the  counter  stands  another  man  with  a  hat  upou  his 

NAT  MUS  95 55 


Fig.  79. 

ENGRAVING  ON  BONE. 


866  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

Lead.  To  the  right  of  this  is  shown  another  hut,  about  which  four 
persons  are  occupied  in  preparing  food.  One  is  standing  over  a  kettle 
with  a  utensil  in  his  hand,  as  if  stirring,  while  another,  to  the  right  of 
the  smoke,  is  in  the  act  of  reaching  into  the  vessel  over  which  he  is 
occupied.  At  the  extreme  right  is  a  meat  rack.  By  turning  the  speci 
men  upside  down  there  will  be  observed  approaching  from  the  left  a 
native  pushing  a  sledge,  to  which  are  attached  two  dogs.  In  front  is  a 
native  with  hands  lowered  and  extended,  as  if  calling  to  urge  forward 
the  dogs.  At  the  right  is  a  scaffold  which  i^  in  connection  with  an 
underground  habitation.  From  the  top  of  one  of  the  smoke  holes  is 
seen  rising  a  heavy  cloud  of  smoke.  Two  natives  are  also  portrayed, 
the  one  at  the  right  with  arms  extended,  as  if  making  signals.  To  the 
left  is  an  upright  pole  over  the  entrance  of  the  habitation,  which 
represents  a  votive  offering. 

Plate  66,  fig.  3  represents  a  kantag  or  bucket  handle  from  Norton 
Sound.  It  is  an  old  time-stained  piece,  and  bears  upon  the  lateral 
edges  a  few  sharply  incised  figures,  that  upon  the  right  or  upper  side 
denoting  a  procession  of  loaded  sledges.  The  attitudes  of  the  dogs 
following  them,  as  well  as  of  the  men  assisting,  are  very  natural.  Upon 
the  opposite  side  of  the  middle  are  three  kaiaks,  on  either  side  of  which 
are  a  number  of  seals,  while  at  the  extreme  left  are  two  low  mounds 
representing  winter  habitations. 

In  plate  67,  fig.  3,  Nos.  2,  3,  and  4  indicate  the  summer  habitations 
of  some  natives  who  had  gone  away  to  catch  and  cure  salmon.  The 
fish  are  drying  upon  the  racks  shown  in  Nos.  1  and  5;  at  the  latter  one 
the  natives  are  hanging  up  fish,  while  at  the  other  end  of  the  rack  is 
the  ever  present  dog. 

No.  6  denotes  the  boat  with  three  men  inside,  while  the  fourth  is 
towing  the  vessel  toward  shore. 

The  individual  at  No.  7  is  making  the  gesture  for  calling  attention  to 
something  which  he  has  at  his  feet — probably  a  salmon.  No.  8  is  a 
native  taking  a  skin  of  one  of  the  dead  animals,  while  Nos.  9  and  10 
are  also  going  to  join  in  carrying  venison,  as  shown  by  Nos.  11  and  12. 
The  dog  between  the  two  last  named  seems  to  scent  the  meat.  No.  13 
is  engaged  in  cutting  up  an  animal,  the  cut  in  the  abdomen  being  shown 
by  two  parallel  horizontal  lines.  Nos.  14  and  15  are  dead  deer,  over 
which  the  native  at  the  last  named  is  busied.  No.  16  is  lying  flat  on 
his  stomach,  holding  a  gun,  as  beyond  the  hillock,  No.  17,  he  sees  a 
herd  of  deer,  some  grazing  and  some  lying  upon  the  ground.  The  rack 
at  18  is  where  he  had  a  camp  at  a  former  time,  showing  the  locality  to 
have  been  visited  before. 

The  entire  village  appears  to  have  turned  out,  as  shown  in  plate  67, 
fig.  3,  to  aid  in  dragging  ashore  a  whale,  No.  1.  Lines  extend  to  either 
side,  where  groups  of  men  are  dragging  at  them,  No.  2.  The  figures  on 
the  animal  are  cutting  off  pieces,  one  at  the  left  or  head  end  having 
raised  a  long  slice  of  blubber  or  skin,  while  at  the  other  end  one  of  the 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895. Hoffman. 


PLATE  66. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895.— Hoffman. 


1  2  345 


10        11        12    13    14    15  16  1 


234 


6  7 


8  9 


RECORDS  OF 


PLATE  67. 


18  19  20       21  22      23  24 


11  12  13  14  15  16         17      18 


19 


AVOCATIONS. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  867 

men  is  receiving  a  piece  from  another;  while  still  another,  nearer  the 
tail,  is  tossing  a  piece  of  the  meat  to  a  companion,  whose  arms  are 
stretched  out  to  receive  it. 

Still  another  pair  of  natives  are  occupied  with  a  large  piece  lying  upon 
the  ground.  At  No.  3  is  a  habitation,  and  at  No.  4  the  man  is  getting 
ready  his  sledges  to  haul  the  meat  back  to  the  house,  where  the  long 
vertical  ridge  poles  indicate  that  the  meat  is  to  be  suspended  from  them. 
The  natives  at  Nos.  0  and  7  are  also  in  the  attitude  of  some  occupation 
in  anticipation  of  having  meat  to  hang  up  at  the  scaffold  at  No.  (>. 

The  inverted  quadruped  near  the  middle  of  the  record,  and  above  the 
rope,  pertains  to  a  record  which  was  to  rest  upon  the  base  line,  on  the 
upper  surface  of  the  same  side,  but  which  was  not  undertaken. 

The  men  at  No.  5  are  apparently  using  sledge  runners  upon  which  to 
drag  their  umiak  to  the  shore,  so  as  to  approach  the  whale  from  the 
water  side  to  assist  in  cutting  him  to  pieces. 

Plate  07,  fig.  3,  represents  a  number  of  different  avocations  connected 
with  the  chase,  and  the  artistic  portrayal  of  the  actions  represented 
are  peculiarly  distinct  and  interesting. 

The  left  end  of  the  record  is  somewhat  marred  by  wear,  but  the  first 
character  to  be  intelligible,  No.  1,  denotes  the  horns  of  a  slaughtered 
reindeer,  of  which  the  skin,  No.  2,  is  outstretched  upon  the  ground. 
At  No.  3  are  represented  the  horns  and  forelegs  of  the  animal,  which 
have  been  dressed  for  transportation  to  the  village.  At  No.  4  is  the 
skin  of  a  female  reindeer,  while  at  No.  5  is  visible  the  hunter  seated 
upon  the  ground  and  smoking  his  pipe.  His  gun  and  quiver  of  arrows 
are  indicated  at  Nos.  6  and  7  respectively. 

No.  8  denotes  a  bear  which  has  been  captured  by  the  same  hunter, 
whose  figure  is  reproduced,  and  his  companion.  No.  11  represents  a 
man  engaged  upon  the  section  of  a  temporary  shelter,  while  the  indi 
vidual  at  No.  12  is  using  a  drill  bow  to  rotate  the  stick,  held  by  No.  13, 
in  the  act  of  making  fire.  Nos.  14  and  1(>  represent  a  boat's  crew  who 
landed  at  the  camp  or  shelter  just  named.  The  first  of  the  figures  is 
dragging  the  boat  along  shore,  the  one  in  the  stern  aiding  in  poling. 
No.  15  is  the  figure  of  a  fish  to  indicate  the  purpose  for  which  the  party 
is  away  from  their  own  home. 

At  No.  17  is  shown  a  man  hanging  meat  upon  the  rack  for  drying, 
the  strips  of  meat  being  visible  the  entire  length  of  the  horizontal  pole 
to  19,  which  is  the  skin  of  a  reindeer.  The  duties  of  No.  18  are  not 
apparent,  but  he  was  evidently  helping  in  the  work  of  suspending 
pieces  of  meat.  No.  20  is  a  winter  habitation,  before  which  is  one  of 
the  inmates,  No.  21,  engaged  in  preparing  food,  or  something  that 
requires  stirring.  Before  him  is  observed  rising  a  column  of  smoke, 
No.  22,  while  at  No.  22  is  another  kettle  belonging  to  No.  23,  who  is 
also,  apparently,  going  to  assist  in  the  culinary  work.  No.  24  is  a  canoe 
lying  upon  its  side,  so  as  to  dry  the  bottom,  and  behind  it  is  seen  the 
owner  engaged  in  cleaning  and  repairing  the  side. 


868  KEPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

The  elongated  figure  at  No.  25  is  a  fish  net  stretched  out  for  drying. 
Other  characters  appear  to  have  been  made  farther  toward  the  right, 
but  from  use  of  the  rod  the  surface  has  been  worn  so  smooth  as  to 
obliterate  them. 


1  2  34567 

Fig.  80. 

ESKIMO   ATHLETIC   SPORTS. 

The  etchings  reproduced  in  plate  67,  fig.  4,  were  copied  from  an  ivory 
rod  in  the  collection  of  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company,  and  were 
interpreted  by  Vladimir  Naomoff,  a  Kadiak  half-caste  referred  to  else 
where.     The  left-hand  figure  represents  a  long  rack  from  which  a  native 
has  suspended  reindeer  hides,  the  person  being  portrayed  at  the  right 
as  in  the  act  of  descending  from 'a  short  ladder.     The  dome-shaped 
figure  is  a  habitation,  before  the  door  of  which  is 
\*  a  square  figure — perhaps  a  kettle — from  which 

IT^V.       ^*         smoke  is  arising.     A  native  is  next  drawn  in  the 
'*          ^/^  A^,      act  of  shooting  a  reindeer,  the  arrows  being  shown 
lgt    *  as  if  sticking  in  its  back.     The  continuous  body 

NATIVE  ATHLETE.  .    ,         ,  .  ..  ,  .       -  .  J  . 

with  eleven  pairs  01  horns  indicates  that  number 

of  animals.  To  the  right  are  several  reindeer  down  upon  the  ground, 
two  having  been  shot  with  arrows,  the  native  being  again  shown  in  the 
act  of  shooting  toward  a  herd  of  ten  reindeer,  wounding  one  which  after 
wards  attacked  him,  and  which  he  caught  by  the  horns,  as  shown  at  the 
extreme  right  end  of  the  record. 

The  figure  of  the  habitation  No.  1,  shown  in  accompanying  illustra 
tion  fig.  80,  has  above  it  at  the  left  a  character  resembling  a  cedar  tree> 
but  which  denotes  smoke.    This  resembles  also  the  char 
acter  to  denote  spray  or  water  as  spouted  by  whales,  illus 
trations  of  which  are  found  elsewhere. 

The  individual  seated  over  the  entrance  to  the  habita 
tion,  No.  2,  is  watching  the  amusements  going  on  a  short        ^ig.  82. 
distance  before  him.    Nos.  3  and  4  have  made  use  of  the    NATIVE 
fishrack  poles  for  horizontal  bars,  and  while  No.  3  is  astride 
of  his  and  gesturing  with  his  conversation  with  No.  2,  No.  4  is  making 
a  turn. 

The  person  indicated  in  No.  5  is  preparing  to  run,  the  two  remaining 
figures  in  Nos.  6  and  7  acting,  perhaps,  as  coachers. 

Fig.  81,  taken  from  the  engravings  on  the  ivory  pipestem  represented 
in  plate  61,  shows  a  native  in  the  act  of  standing  upon  his  head 
or  taking  a  somersault.  The  representation  is  unique,  and  nothing 
approaching  this  kind  of  athletic  sport  has  been  elsewhere  found  upon 
the  specimens  in  the  collection. 

The  seated  figure  in  fig.  82  is  holding  with  one  hand  a  piece  of  wood 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  869 

from  which  he  intends  to  make  a  bow;  the  other  hand  holding  an  adz 
with  which  the  greater  part  of  the  superfluous  material  is  removed  ere 
beginning  the  final  cuts  and  scrapings  to  produce  the  ultimate  form  ou 
surface. 

The  illustration  of  two  men  wrestling  is  reproduced  in  fig.  83  from 
the  pipestems  shown  in  plate  62.     The  attitude  of 
the  men  is  realistic,  and  shows  the  clinch  in  a  "  catch- 
as-catch-can"  contest. 

This,  fig.  84,  is  also  reproduced  from  the  same  pro-     * 
lific  source,  the  pipestem,  shown  in  plate  61.      The 

.NATI\  Eft   AA  RESTLING. 

man  at  the  right  has  kicked  the  ball  into  the  air, 

while  his  companion  is  ready  to  catch  it,  as  is  shown  by  the  outstretched 

hands. 

Two  men  engaged  in  gambling  are  shown  in  fig.  85.     That  they  are 
sitting  close  together  is  indicated  not  only  by  their  apparent  proximity 
but  furthermore  by  the  representation  of  the  foot  of  one  man  extending 
beyond  the  back  of  his  vis-a-vis. 

Whether  the  game  is  played  with  cards,  with 
sticks,  or  some  other  materials,  is  not  determi- 
nable. 

The  illustration  in  fig.  86  is  notf  of  uncommon 

FOOTBALL  KICKED  BY  NATIVE.  .  -.  . 

occurrence  in  records  of  dances,  those  so  indi 
cated  being  the  observers  and  not  the  participants  in  the  ceremonials. 
The  pipe  represented  in  the  native  drawing  is  the  Siberian  pattern,  an 
Eskimo  reproduction  of  the  general  type  being  shown  in  plates  61  and 
62,  in  which  the  bowl  is  a  vertical  stem  with  a  broad,  rather  'flaring  top 
with  but  a  narrow  and  deep  perforation,  resembling 
the  Chinese  pattern  in  respect  to  the  small  quantity  of 
tobacco  which  the  smoker  can  consume  at  one  filling. 
The  effect  is  attained,  however,  as  Mr.  Murdoch  iu- 

.,,    ,      ,  ,  .      ,       ,      ,  NATIVES  GAMBLING. 

forms  me  "that  the  smoker  will  take  a  deep  inhalation 
of  smoke — and  vile  smoke  it  is,  generally — retaining  it  for  a  considera 
ble  time  until  he  is  compelled  to  take  breath,  when  another  similar 
inhalation  of  smoke  is  taken.    This  is  repeated  until  the  small  charge 
of  tobacco  is  consumed.    The  result  is  a  most  violent  fit  of  coughing, 

becoming  spasmodic  and  of  such  appareut- 
ly  painful  character  as  to  lead  one  to  believe 
that  the  poor  victim  is  going  to  die  at  once." 
Fig  86>  Many  of  the  Indian  tribes  practice  like 

NATIVE  SMOKING  PIPE.  inhalations  of  smoke,  the  usual  combina 

tion  among  the  Dakota  tribes  consisting  of 

various  kinds  of  purchased  tobacco  mixed  in  varying  degrees  with  the 
inner  red  bark  of  the  red  osier  Cornus  stolonifera,  or  the  leaves  of  Uva 
Ursi,  found  along  the  elevated  lands  of  the  upper  Missouri  and  Yellow 
stone  rivers. 
The  bark  or  the  leaves  are  chopped  up  finely  in  the  proportion, 


870  KEPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

usually,  of  two  to  one  of  tobacco,  rubbed  together  in  the  palm  of  the 
hand  and  packed  into  the  deep,  narrow  tube  of  the  Catlinite  pipe. 

The  outer  or  dry  part  of  the  lips  only  are  placed  against  the  pipe- 
stem,  and  the  moment  a  deep  long  pull  is  taken  the  outer  corners  of  the 
mouth  are  slightly  opened,  without  removing  the  lips  irom  the  tip,  and 
a  deep  breath  taken  in  order  that  as  the  air  enters  the  mouth  some  of 

the  smoke  held  therein  passes 

/"^T    ^A    s^L      \£/    <D.  &  along  down  the  trachea  into  the 

'  A  IT  7\  H  ,^y  P.  bronchial  tubes,  entirely  filling 

the  lungs.  The  expiration  is  per 
formed  by  expelling  the  smoke 

through  the  nostrils,  at  the  conclusion  of  which  another  deep  draw  at 
the  stem  followed  by  a  like  inhalation,  this  being  continued  with  the 
regularity  of  ordinary  breathing,  at  each  inspiration  smoke  passing 
along  with  the  air  into  the  lungs. 

Frequent  coughing  spells  result  and  bronchial  troubles  are  very 
common  among  the  males.  The  opportunities  for  close  observation 
were  especially  good  during  the  writer's  detail  as  surgeon  at  a  military 
station  at  a  time  when  the  number  of  Indians  upon  the  ration  roll  was 
13,500,  and  personal  experience  was  abundant  also,  both  in  the  method 
of  making  and  the  acquirement  of  a  severe  attack  of  bronchitis,  though 
of  but  limited  duration. 

The  group  represented  in  fig.  87  is  actively  engaged  in  a  dance,  the 
various  attitudes  indicating  considerable  exertion.  The  seated  figure 
is  holding  aloft  his  shaman  tambourine  drum,  the  stroke  across  the 
disk  indicating  the  stick  with  which  he  produces  the  percussion. 


1234567        8          9         10      11     12    13     14    15       16    17  18  19  20  21  22       23  24 

Fig.  88. 
DANCE   AND  FEAST. 

The  larger  figure  at  the  right  is  the  chief  officiating  personage,  and 
is  engaged  in  chanting.  One  hand  is  directed  toward  the  drummer, 
while  the  other  is  held  aloft,  in  the  act  of  supplicating  aid  from  his 
dairnon  or  guardian  spirit. 

Fig.  88  is  one  of  the  very  few  illustrations  of  dances,  and  is  perhaps 
the  only  one  that  seems  to  be  of  a  social  character,  in  consequence  of  a 
successful  hunt. 

No.  1  is  a  man  making  the  gesture  for  here,  at  this  place,  having 
reference  to  the  village  of  which  he  is  an  inhabitant  and  of  which  the 
houses  are,  in  part,  shown  in  Nos.  18,  20,  22,  24,  and  the  storehouse, 
No.  23.  No.  2  is  obliterated,  and  although  it  appears  to  resemble  a 
human  figure,  it  is  more  probably  a  peak,  similar  to  the  ones  shown  in 
Nos.  3  and  7,  Nos.  4  and  5  are  the  hunters  who,  in  the  shelter  of 
the  hill  No.  7,  are  crawling  up  to  within  shooting  distance  of  the  deer, 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  871 

resting'  upon  the  ground  at  No.  8.  No.  6  denotes  a  bow  and  two  arrows, 
while  another  arrow,  carried  by  the  rear  hunter,  is  shown  above  and 
between  the  two  figures. 

The  next  portion  of  the  record  pertains  to  the  feast  given  at  the 
dance,  the  latter  being  graphically  portrayed  in  Nos.  9-17.  The  drum 
mers  are  indicated  at  either  end  of  the  group  of  dancers,  the  one  at  No. 
9  being  seated  upon  the  ground.  Nos.  10  and  11  are  rather  more 
violent  in  their  attitudes  than  Nos.  12  and  13.  No.  12  is  shown  with 
the  right  hand  to  the  mouth  to  denote  the  gesture  to  eat,  while  with 
his  left  he  is  pointing  in  the  direction  of  the  feast  awaiting  them. 
No.  13  is  indicating  himself,  and  also  points  to  the  same  place  as  No. 
12,  indicating  that  he  too  will  be  there.  No.  14  is  also  shown  as 
making  the  gesture  to  eat,  eating,  or  food,  while  with  the  other  hand 
thrown  backward  is  pointing  in  the  direction  of  the  habitations.  No. 
15  seems  to  be  acting  in  the  manner  of  an  usher,  holding  both  hands 
toward  the  place  of  the  food,  as  if  inviting  the  others  to  go. 

No.  16  is  shown  with  his  hands  up,  a  common  attitude  given  to  per 
sons  portrayed  as  dancing  or  other  excitement,  such  as  surprise  or 
alarm  in  hunting,  etc.,  while  No.  17  has  risen  from  his  place  and  is  using 
the  drum,  similar  to  the  one  at  No.  9.  The  summer  habitations  are 
shown  in  Nos.  18,  20,  and  22,  the  persons  indicated  between  them  being 
members  of  the  households  near  which  they  are  represented. 

No.  23  is  a  scaffold  storehouse,  while  No.  24  denotes  a  winter  or  per 
manent  habitation,  with  one  of  the  inmates  on  the  roof. 


471  25  38 

Fig.  89. 

WHALING  SHIPS  AND  BOATS,  AND  VISITING  NATIVES. 

In  fig.  89  is  portrayed  an  event  which  seems  to  have  been  of  interest 
to  the  recorder,  or  owner  of  the  record.  Nos.  1,  2,  and  3  are  whaling- 
ships;  from  No.  2  is  observed  a  feather-like  figure  rising  from  the  deck, 
between  the  main  mast  and  mizzemnast,  which  denotes  smoke  rising 
from  the  fire  used  for  boiling  blubber.  At  No.  3  the  line  is  secured  to 
walrus,  which  is  being  hauled  aboard. 

Nos.  4  and  6  represent  ships'  boats,  while  No.  5  is  a  native  canoe,  the 
recorder  being  indicated  at  the  stem  of  No.  5,  in  the  act  of  making  a 
gesture  with  his  left  hand,  and  pointing  with  his  right  toward  the  direc 
tion  of  the  ship  No.  1,  upon  which  are  two  men,  the  one  upon  the  bow 
sprit  of  which  is  returning  a  gesture  sign. 

The  man  at  the  stern  of  the  last-named  ship  is  also  making  a  hailing 
sign  to  the  canoe  men  at  No.  4. 

The  two  crosses  at  No.  7  are  birds,  while  No.  8  is  the  walrus  which 
has  been  secured  by  the  crew  of  ship  No.  3. 


872  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

In  fig.  90,  Nos.  1,  2,  and  3  represent  whaling  ships  at  anchor,  the 
middle  figure  being  somewhat  obliterated  by  the  wearing  away  of  the 


i  A. 


87  96  10 

Fig.  90. 
WHALEHVNTEKS  AND  SHIPS. 

ivory  of  the  bow.  The  anchor  chain  is  seen  at  No.  3.  Nos.  4  and  6  are 
the  ships'  boats  in  pursuit  of  whales,  the  specimen  at  No.  5  having  been 
harpooned,  while  in  No.  6  the  hunter  is  reaching  down  to  grasp  the 
harpoon,  the  open  hand  being  clearly  indicated.  No.  8  is  a  killer  whale, 
while  Nos.  9  and  10  denote  seals  diving  into  the  sea. 

PICTOGRAPHIC    RECORDS. 

This  collection  of  records  pertains  more  particularly  to  individual 
exploits  —  hunting  and  fishing,  traveling  and  combat.  It  is  practically 
impossible  to  classify  all  of  the  records  or  to  relegate  them  to  a  spe 
cific  subject,  as  the  subjects  are  frequently  not  on  one  single  theme, 
but  embrace  a  number  of  ideas  upon  the  same  continuous  face  of 
ivory;  therefore  the  records  are  necessarily  classified  according  to  the 
import  of  the  majority  of  characters  inscribed. 

In  the  accompanying  series  presented  below  there  appears  to  be 
more  allusion  to  individual  performances  than  the  record  of  an  indefi 
nite  number  of  people. 

•    INDIVIDUAL    EXPLOITS. 

The  carving  shown  in  fig.  91,  made  of  a  piece  of  walrus  ivory,  was 
copied  from  the  original  in  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company,  San 
Francisco,  California,  and  the  interpretations  were  verified  by  Yladimir 
Naomoff,  a  Kadiak  half-breed,  to  whom  reference  has  already  been 
made. 

No.  lisa  native  whose  left  hand  is  resting  against  the  house,  while 
the  right  is  directed  toward  the  ground.  The  character  to  his  right 
represents  a  "  shaman  stick"  surmounted  by  the  emblem  of  a  bird  —  a 
"good  spirit"  —  in  memory  of  some  departed  member  of  the  household. 
It  was  suggested  that  the  grave  stick  had  been  erected  to  the  memory 
of  his  wife. 

No.  2  represents  a  reindeer. 

No.  3  signifies  that  one  man,  the  designer,  shot  and  killed  another 
with  an  arrow.  The  elbow  of  the  arm  drawing  the  arrow  is  seen  pro 
jecting  behind  the  back,  illustrating  close  observation  on  the  part  of 
the  artist. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS. 


873 


Xo.  4  denotes  that  the  narrator  has  made  trading-  expeditions  with  a 
dog  sledge. 

No.  5  is  a  sailboat,  although  the  elevated  paddle  signifies  that  that 
was  the  manner  in  which  the  voyage  was  best  made.  The  conspicuous 
and  abrupt  stem  specifies  that  it  was  a  heavy  boat,  for  nse  in  sailing, 
and  not  a  baidarka. 

Xo.  0  represents  a  dog  sled,  with  the  animal  hitched  up  for  a  journey. 
The  radiating  lines  in  the  left-hand  upper  corner  of  the  square  contain 
ing  the  pictograph  are  the  rays  of  the  sun. 

Xo.  7  is  a  sacred  or  ceremonial  structure.  The  four  figures  at  the 
outer  corners  of  the  square  represent  the  young  men  placed  on  guard, 
armed  with  bows  and  arrows,  to  keep  away  those  not  members  of  the 
band,  who  are  depicted  as  holding  a  dance.  The  small  square  in  the 
center  of  the  inclosure  represents  the  fireplace.  The  angular  lines 


9          10  11  13  12 

Fig.  91. 
RECORDS  CARVED  IN  IVORY. 

extending  from  the  right  side  of  the  structure  to  the  vertical  partition 
line  show  in  outline  the  subterranean  entrance  to  the  structure  or 
lodge. 

Xo.  8  is  a  pine  tree,  upon  which  a  porcupine  is  crawling  upward. 

Xo.  9,  a  similar  species  of  tree,  from  the  bark  of  which  a  bird  [wood 
pecker]  is  extracting  larva?  for  food. 

Xo.  9  is  a  bear. 

Xo.  10  represents  the  owner  of  the  record  in  Ms  boat  holding  aloft 
his  doublebladed  paddle  to  call  for  help  to  drive  fish  into  a  net. 

Xo.  11  is  an  assistant  fisherman,  one  who  has  responded  to  the  call, 
and  is  observed  driving  fish  by  beating  the  water  with  a  stick. 

Xo.  12  represents  the  net  which,  as  is  customary  also  among  many  t,f 
the  tribes  of  the  Great  Lakes,  is  usually  set  in  moderately  shallow 
water. 

Xo.  13,  the  figure  over  the  preceding  character,  denotes  a  whale,  with 
line  and  harpoon  attached,  which  was  caught  by  the  fisherman  during 
one  of  his  fishing  trips. 


874  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

A  man  in  a  kneeling  posture,  about  to  throw  a  spear  at  an  animal,  is 
shown  in  fig.  92.     The  attitude  is  lifelike  and  the  sketch  well  made. 
An  illustration  of  shooting  a  reindeer  is  shown  in  fig.  93.     The  man 
is  lying  upon  the  ground  and  is  using  a  gun  instead  of 
a  bow  and  arrow. 

The  illustration  given  in  fig.  94  is  a  remarkably  clever 
rig.  92.            kit  of  engraving,  especially  in  the  attitude  assumed  by 
the  native  in  drawing  the  bow.    The  arrow  has  already 
been  discharged  and  is  on  its  message  of  death,  but  a  short  distance 
from  the  head  of  the  animal.     Immediately  in  front  of  the  hunter  is  a 
mound  upon  which  is  a  tree,  behind  which  the  hunter  approached  to 
within  shooting  distance.     The  animal  is 
drawn  facing  the  hunter  to  indicate  the     ^ ^^  ^~  • 


fact  that  it  was  secured. 

The  flatness  and  absence  of  mark 
ings  upon  the  mound  indicate  the  differ 
ence  between  it  and  a  winter  habitation. 

The  bag  handle  shown  on  plate  58,  fig.  2,  presents  three  panels,  on 
which  are  portrayals  of  natural  objects.  The  separating  lines  consist 
of  pairs  of  vertical  zigzag  markings,  while  the  front  panel  bears  the 

figure  of  a  hunter  armed  with  a  bow  and 
arrow  in  pursuit  of  reindeer,  one  of  these 
animals  being  indicated  in  each  of  the 
two  remaining  panels. 

The  two  ^dividual  characters  repre 
sented  in  fig.  95  as  Nos.  3  and  5  are 

intended  to  denote  the  same  person.  The  one,  as  No.  3,  is  the  hunter 
armed  with  bow  and  arrow,  and  by  hiding  himself  behind  the  tree,  No. 
2,  he  was  enabled  to  shoot  the  buck,  No.  1,  when  the  latter  had  kept 
on  grazing  to  within  proper  range.  Being  hidden  from  view  of  the  doe, 
No.  G,  by  the  hill,  No.  4,  the  hunter  imitated  the  call  of  the  male,  thus 
bringing  within  range  the  female.  The  figure  in  No.  5  represents,  as 
above  stated,  the  hunter,  but  in  this  additional  form  in  order  to  give 


1  2345  6 

Fig.  95. 

HUNTING  DEER. 

him  the  gesture  of  calling  or  beckoning  with  the  left  hand,  in  the  direc 
tion  indicated  by  the  extended  right  arm  and  hand,  the  attitude  of  the 
animal  also  showing  that  it  followed.  The  Imnter  has  projecting  from 
his  mouth  a  short  black  line,  denoting  voice,  produced  by  whistling  or 
a  decoy  whistle. 

The  sketch  shown  in  fig.  96  is  of  interest  on  account  of  the  indica 
tion  shown  by  the  artist  that  the  reindeer  is  wounded  and  can  not 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS. 


875 


Fig. 96. 

AFTER  A   K 


Fig.  97. 

HUNTER  APPROACHING   WALRUS. 


escape  being  shot  by  the  hunter.  The  animal  is  placed  in  an  attitude 
as  if  backing,  the  legs  drawn  so  as  to  project  slightly  to  the  front  to 
denote  its  inability  to  progress  in  that  direction. 

The  short  line  in  the  hand  of  the  middle  hunter  is  an  arrow,  which 
is  being  held  toward  the  one  shooting.     The  figure  at  the  left  is  quietly 
observing  the  scene, 
smoking  his  pipe. 

A  c  1  e v e r  an d 
cleanly  cut  illustra 
tion  is  reproduced 
in  fig.  97,  represent 

ing  a  hunter  in  his  baidarka,  paddling  toward  an  ice  pan  upon  which 
is  quietly  reposing  a  walrus. 

All  the  figures  are  heavily  incised  by  vertical  lines,  the  ice  alone 
remaining  as  a  hollow  outline  to  indicate  its  transparent  or  translucent 
condition. 

The  illustration  of  the  two  sides  of  a  piece  of  ivory,  fig.  1)8,  is  from 

Utkiawifi,  in  the 
Point  Barrow  re 
gion  of  Alaska,  and 
is  described  by  Mr. 
Murdoch1  as  being 
a  piece  of  an  old  snow-shovel  edge  with  freshly  incised  figures  on  both 
faces,  which  the  artist  said  represented  his  own  record.  "  The  figures 
are  all  colored  with  red  ocher.  On  the  obverse  the  figures  all  stand 
on  a  roughly  drawn  ground  line.  At  the  left  is  a  man  pointing  his 
ritie  at  a  bear,  which  stands  on  its  hind  legs  facing  him.  Then  comes 
a  she-bear  walk 
ing  toward  the 
left,  folio  wed  by 
a  cub,  then  two 
large  bears  also 

>3 


walking  to  the 
left,  and  a  she- 
bear  in  the  same 
attitude,  fol 
lowed  by  two 
cabs,one  behind 

the  other.  This  was  explained  by  the  artist  as  follows:  i These  are  all 
the  bears  I  have  killed.  This  one  alone  (pointing  to  the  "rampant"  one) 
was  bad.  All  the  others  were  good.'  We  heard  at  the  time  of  his  giving 
the  death  shot  to  the  last  bear  as  it  was  charging  his  comrade,  who  had 
wounded  it  with  his  muzzle-loader.  On  the  reverse  the  figures  are  in 
the  same  position.  The  same  man  points  his  rifie  at  a  string  of  three 
wolves.  His  explanation  was :  'These  are  all  the  wolves  I  have  killed.'" 


Fig.  98. 

HUNTING  SCORE  ENGRAVED  ON  IVORY.      (AFTER  MURDOCH.) 


Ninth  Aimuul  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Etlmology,  1887-'88,  1892,  p.  362. 


876 


REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 


tl. 


Plate  59,  fig.  3,  shows  a  drill  bow  from  Norton  Sound.  The  orna 
mentation  upon  one  side  consists  of  eleven  wolves,  while  on  the  other 
side  is  represented  a  herd  of  reindeer,  the  herd  being  divided  into  two 
parts,  between  which  is  shown  the  figure  of  a  wolf. 

It  may  be  that  the  above  instance  records  the  fact  of  the  owner 
being  a  successful  hunter,  and  thus  records  a  successful  exploit, 
though  the  uniformity  in  outline  of  the  animals  suggests  a  tendency 

also  toward  ornamentation  as 
well  as  portraying  an  occur 
rence. 

The  fungus-ash  box  shown  on 
plate  56,  fig.  5,  shows  along 
the  upperline  of  illustrations  a 
hunter  with  throwing  stick  and 
weapon  running  after  some 
birds  which  he  is  desirous  of 
securing. 

Upon  the  lower  line  the  same 
person,  perhaps,  is  shown  be 
hind  a  sledge  riding  his  dog  in 
pulling  the  conveyance. 

When  the  box  is  reversed, 
there  will  be  seen  upon  the  upper 
line  a  clump  of  trees  at  the 
right,  while  to  the  left  of  these 
is  a  hunter  kneeling  in  the  atti 
tude  of  shooting  at  a  bear;  be 
hind  the  latter  is  another  animal, 
perhaps  a  mate. 

Upon  the  lower  line  is  a  ship, 
toward  which  two  native  boats 


:tt 


.'I 


Fig.  99. 
HUNTING  SCORE  ENGRAVED  ON  IVORY  (AFTER  MURDOCH) 


are  directed.  The  face  at  the 
left  is  apparently  simply  an 
attempt  at  caricature. 

The  hunting  tablet  found  by  Mr.  Murdoch  at  Point  Barrow,  and 
before  referred  to,  is  represented  in  plate  65,  fig.  1.  The  description 
given  by  him  is  in  connection  with  the  illustration  given  on  plate  56, 
fig.  1,  referring  to  the  reverse  of  the  tablet. 

The  accompanying  illustration,  fig.  99,  and  description  is  from  Mur 
doch's  report  on  the  Point  Barrow  Eskimo,1  and  appears  to  be  one  of 
the  four  specimens  brought  back  by  him.  The  tablet  is  of  ivory,  4.8 
inches  long  and  1  inch  wide.  On  each  face  is  an  ornamental  border 
inclosing  a  number  of  incised  figures,  which  probably  represent  actual 
scenes,  as  the  tablet  is  not  new. 


Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  1887-88,  1892,  p.  361  et  seq. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS. 


877 


Mr.  Murdoch  says: 

The  figures  on  the  obverse  face  are  colored  with  red  ocher.  At  the  upper  end, 
standing  on  a  cross  line,  with  his  head  toward  the  end,  is  a  rudely  drawn  man  holding 
his  right  hand  up  and  his  left  down,  with  the  fingers  outspread.  At  his  left  stands 
a  boy  with  both  hands  down.  These  figures  probably  represent  the  hunter  and  his 
son.  Just  below  the  cross  line  is  a  man  raising  a  spear  to  strike  an  animal  which  is 
perhaps  meant  for  a  reindeer  without  horns.  Three  deer,  also  without  horns,  stand 
with  their  feet  on  one  border  with  their  heads  toward  the  upper  end,  and  on  the 
other  border  near  the  end  are  two  bucks  with  large  antlers  heading  the  other  way, 
and  behind  them  a  man  in  a  kaiak.  between  him  and  the 
animal  which  the  first  man  is  spearing  is  an  object  which 
may  represent  the  crescent  moon.  The  story  may  perhaps  be 
freely  translated  as  follows :  u  When  the  moon  was  young, 
the  man  and  his  son  killed  six  reindeer,  two  of  them  bucks 
with  large  antlers.  One  they  speared  on  land,  the  rest  they 
chase  I  with  the  kaiak." 

On  the  reverse  the  figures  and  the  border  are  colored  black 
with  soot.  In  the  left-hand  lower  row  is  a  she  bear  and  her 
cub  heading  to  the  left,  followed  by  a  man  who  is  about  to 
shoot  an  arrow  at  them.  Then  come  two  more  bears  heading 
toward  the  right,  and  in  the  right-hand  lower  corner  is  a 
whale  with  two  floats  attached  to  him  by  a  harpoon  line. 
Above  this  is  an  umiak  with  four  men  in  it  approaching 
another  whale  which  has  already  receiAred  one  harpoon  with 
its  two  floats.  The  harpoon  which  is  to  be  thrust  at  him 
may  be  seen  sticking  out  over  the  bow  of  the  boat.  Then 
come  two  whales  in  a  line,  one  heading  to  the  left  and  one  to 
the  right.  In  the  left-hand  upper  corner  is  a  figure  which 
may  represent  a  boat  bottom  up  on  the  staging  of  four  posts. 
We  did  not  learn  the  actual  history  of  this  tablet,  which  was 
brought  down  for  sale  with  a  number  of  other  things. 

Mr.  W.  Boyd  Dawkins  figures  an  arrow  straight- 
ener  of  walrus  ivory  (fig*.  100)  which  is  almost  an 
exact  reproduction  in  form  of  that  shown  in  plate  8, 
fig.  1.  The  latter  is  from  the  Diomede  Islands,  and 
bears  the  figure  of  a  reindeer  only.  That  shown  by 
Mr.  Dawkins  bears  along  one  edge  a  row  of  reindeer, 
while  at  the  opposite  margin  of  the  same  side  a 
series  of  seven  figures,  five  of  which  resemble  the 
human  form,  each  with  antler  and  headdress,  and 
outstretched  arms,  from  the  sleeves  of  which  are 
suspended  what  appears  to  denote  fringe — short 
seiTations.  Two  figures  are  placed  in  profile  and  in  that  position  more 
nearly  resemble  reindeer  rampant,  though  the  characters  are  evidently 
intended  to  represent  the  same  idea  as  that  expressed  in  the  five 
preceding  ones.1 

Another  illustration  from  the  same  work  and  author  relates  to  a 
hunting  scene,  two  natives  being  represented  as  in  pursuit  of  two 
reindeer,  one  of  which  has  been  shot  and  is  lying  down.2 


Fig.  100. 

ARROW    STRAIGHTEXER. 


Early  Man  in  Britain.     London,  1880,  p.  238,  tig.  92. 


Iden  ,  p.  239,  fig.  93. 


878  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

Plate  22,  fig.  1,  represents  an  ivory  drill  bow  from  Kotzebue  Sound. 
The  implement  is  15  inches  in  length  and  seven-eighths  of  an  inch  in 
width.  Besides  being  undulating  the  specimen  is  polished  down  at 
intervals  of  2  inches  in  such  a  manner  as  to  represent  or  produce  slight 
constrictions,  as  will  be  observed  from  the  illustration.  It  represents  a 
hunting  record,  the  hunter  or  owner  of  the  specimen  being  shown  at  the 
left  in  the  attitude  of  shooting  at  a  bear,  which  animal  is  accompanied 
by  seven  others  of  the  same  species.  Some  of  these  are  separated  by 
vertical  lines,  thus  forming  partitions  in  the  record.  At  the  extreme 
right  is  another  illustration  of  whale  hunting,  and  to  intelligently  un 
derstand  the  engraving  the  bow  must  be  turned  around.  The  hunter  is 
here  represented  in  his  kaiak,  above  which  is  an  irregular  circle  con 
nected  with  the  whale  by  a  sharply  denned  line.  This  represents  a 
harpoon  cord  and  the  seal-skin  float  which  is  usually  attached  to  impede 
the  progress  of  the  captive.  The  whale  is  represented  with  great 
accuracy.  Above  the  outline  of  the  kaiak  will  be  seen  a  native  draw 
ing  a  bow,  the  arrow  being  directed  forward  toward  a  flock  of  geese, 
numbering  seven,  one  preceding  the  other,  in  a  very  lifelike  attitude. 

Plate  68,  fig.  2,  shows  an  old  and  age-stained  specimen  of  ivory,  also 
representing  a  drill  bow,  from  Kotzebue  Sound.  The  under  surface  is 
the  one  represented  in  the  illustration.  At  the  extreme  left  are  five 
bear  skins  and  a  long-tailed  animal  which  may  denote  the  otter.  To 
the  right  of  the  vertical  line — the  line  denoting  the  separation  between 
two  records — are  engraved  the  figures  of  three  white  men,  or  perhaps 
only  two,  as  the  two  are  of  the  figures  portrayed  with  the  rimmed 
hats.  One  of  these  is  handing  a  small  object  to  his  companion,  whose 
hands  appear  to  be  stuck  in  his  pockets.  To  the  right  of  this  individual 
are  six  cone-like  objects  connected  at  the  apex  by  a  continuous  line, 
and  between  which  are  rude  upright  objects  resembling  columns  of 
smoke.  These  are  summer  habitations,  with  probably  indications  of 
smoke  from  the  camp  fires.  In  the  middle  of  the  record  are  two  cone- 
like  structures,  denoting  mountains,  between  which  is  a  semicircle 
deeply  engraved  with  short  lateral  lines  representing  a  conventional 
tree  symbol  with  branches  at  either  end  and  upon  the  sides.  The  sig 
nification  of  this  appears  to  be  that  between  two  mountain  regions 
occurs  an  abundance  of  timber.  This  method  of  portraying  an  abun 
dance  of  anything  is  very  similar  to  a  common  practice  adopted  by  many 
of  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  United  States,  especially  the  Ojibwa  and 
some  of  the  Shoshonian  tribes.1  The  four  triangular  figures  to  the  right 
represent  huts,  while  a  continuous  line  extends  from  the  mountain 
toward  the  right  and  connects  with  a  man  disguised  in  a  wolf  skin. 
The  signification  of  this  is  not  clear.  It  may  denote  the  act  of  a  shaman 
in  such  disguise  approaching  the  habitations  and  extracting  something 
therefrom,  or  he  may  intend  harm  to  one  of  the  occupants;  or  it  may 


Compare  with  portrayal  of  mountains  and  adjoining  marsh  on  the  "Chuckche 
Year  record,"  in  plate  81,  at  tig.  26. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  68. 


* 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  879 

signify  that  in  this  disguise  he  was  enabled  to  approach  walruses  and 
shoot  them.  This  method  of  disguise  was  practiced  by  some  of  the 
prairie  tribes  of  Indians  west  of  the  Mississippi  Kiver.  Many  shy  ani 
mals  may  thus  be  approached  to  within  shooting  distance,  while  the 
human  form  would  at  once  alarm  them  and  cause  them  to  escape. 
Three  walruses  are  drawn  upou  the  record,  and  as  their  heads  are 
placed  in  the  direction  of  the  human  figure,  it  is  believed  that  this  is 
intended  to  denote  their  capture  by  the  hunter,  this  practice  being 
very  common.  On  the  contrary,  had  they  not  been  secured,  their  heads 
would  have  been  placed  in  an  opposite  direction.  At  the  extreme  right 
are  six  bear  skins  upon  the  ground,  in  an  upright  position,  very  much 
resembling  the  conventionalized  figures  of  skins  shown  in  plate  22, 
fig.  3. 

On  the  opposite  side  or  upper  curve  of  the  bow  is  a  very  rare  char 
acter;  in  fact,  the  only  instance  observed  in  the  entire  collection  in  the 
possession  of  the  National  Museum  in  which  the  pudendum  is  indicated. 

This  character  was  referred  to  in  conversation  with  Mr.  Murdoch, 
who  questioned  the  writer  with  reference  to  its  occurrence  in  picto- 
graphs  from  Point  Barrow.  At  the  time  of  the  conversation  the 
engraving  had  not  yet  been  observed.  The  creature  immediately  to 
the  right  of  this  is  a  walrus  which  has  been  harpooned,  as  the  projecting 
weapon  illustrates,  and  through  it  is  the  fiying  harpoon  line  connecting 
it  with  the  hunter  in  the  bow  of  a  fine  large  umiak  occupied  by  seven 
hunters.  The  next  character  is  an  umiak  hurrying  to  the  right  in 
pursuit  of  a  whale,  the  harpoon  having  been  thrown  forward  and 
apparently  into  the  animal.  The  next  figure  is  that  of  a  human  being 
with  one  hand  to  his  head  and  the  other  to  his  groin,  the  sharply  incised 
line  extending  downward  from  the  middle  of  the  abdomen.  The  sig 
nification  of  this  is  not  clear.  Further  toward  the  right  are  the  out 
lines  of  two  kaiaks,  the  shapes  of  which  are  very  graceful,  while  only 
one  shows  the  presence  of  a  hunter,  the  other  being  incomplete.  The 
record  is  concluded  upon  this  side  of  the  bow  by  the  figures  of  two 
walruses. 

Upon  one  side  are  a  number  of  walruses  and  other  animals,  while 
near  the  left  is  the  portrayal  of  a  whale,  to  which  the  harpoon  line  and 
float  seems  attached.  Some  short  figures  are  introduced  to  fill  up  the 
space.  On  the  remaining  side  we  have  at  the  extreme  left  a  seine  net, 
to  the  right  of  which  are  several  animals  not  identifiable  with  certainty, 
as  the  engravings  are  very  crude  on  this  record.  A  number  of  wal- 
ruses7  a  whale,  and  a  man  in  a  kaiak  occupy  the  greater  portion  of  the 
remaining  part  of  the  record,  while  a  single  triangular  habitation  is 
shown,  together  with  two  crudely  drawn  figures  of  wolves. 

Plate  24,  tig.  1,  shows  a  drill  bow  from  Cape  Darby,  where  it  was 
collected  by  Mr.  E.  W.  Nelson.  It  is  of  ivory,  and  measures  13£  inches 
in  length.  It  is  a  hunting  record,  the  story  beginning  at  the  right 
hand.  The  hunter  is  shown  with  gun  raised,  directed  toward  a  herd  of 


880 


REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 


reindeer.  Above  fourteen  of  these  animals  will  be  observed  black  spots 
denoting  bullets,  and  indicating  that  that  number  of  animals  were  shot 
The  remaining  five  have  no  such  marks,  which  indicates  that  that  num 
ber  were  with  the  herd,  but  were  not  secured.  The  peculiarity  of  this 
unique  record  is  the  indication  of  the  bullets,  each  denoting  capture 
of  the  game,  whereas  in  most  other  records  from  the  same  region  the 
indication  of  the  capture  of  game  consists  in  the  heads  of  the  animals 
being  turned  toward  the  hunter;  those  animals  seen  and  not  captured 
being  turned  in  an  opposite  direction. 

By  reversing  the  bow  so  as  to  bring  to  proper  view  the  small  figures 
at  the  left-hand  upper  corner,  the  reader  will  perceive  at  the  left  an 
elevated  storehouse,  to  the  right  of  which  is  a  small  mound  represent 
ing  a  winter  habitation,  while  next  to  the  right  of  this  is  another  struc 
ture  of  similar  character.  The  main  figure  portrayed  has  a  thin  line 
extending  from  himself  to  one  of  the  reindeer  of  the  preceding  group, 
indicating  that  another  hunter  captured  it  by  means  of  a  lasso  or  rope. 

On  the  under  side  of  the  bow  is  a  seal-hunting  scene.     At  the  left 
are  five  kaiaks,  four  of  the  hunters  being  represented  with  the  paddle 


13       14 


17 


15  16 

Fig. 101. 
RECORD   OF  HUNT.     ALASKA. 


18 


19 


20 


uplifted  horizontally  to  indicate  the  presence  of  game  and  to  call  the 
attention  of  other  hunters  to  the  animals.  To  the  right  of  the  fifth 
boat  is  a  fish.  The  next  character  represents  a  kaiak,  the  occupant  of 
which  also  holds  his  paddle  horizontally  above  him,  as  he  is  approach 
ing  two  seals,  and  indicates  to  the  occupants  of  the  umiak  to  approach 
and  capture  them.  One  of  the  hunters  in  the  umiak  is  portrayed  with 
a  gun.  The  figure  at  the  extreme  right  represents  a  fish. 

On  the  edge  of  this  drill  bow  is  a  series  of  figures  apparently 
intended  to  fill  up  the  space.  The  twelve  beginning  at  the  left  repre 
sent  seals  facing  the  right.  Then  come  five  larger  animals  facing  the 
left,  all  of  these  apparently  half  in  water,  their  projecting  heads  and 
bodies  very  much  resembling  some  characters  used  for  the  portrayal  of 
water  fowl.  The  next  character,  which  is  T-shaped,  is  a  conventional 
ized  whale  tail.  The  next  character  to  the  right  is  not  sufficiently 
clear  to  admit  of  certain  identification,  but  the  next  four  represent 
deer.  Beyond  the  vertical  bar  are  sixteen  rudely  executed  figures  of 
seals. 

Fig.  101  is  a  record  of  a  hunting  expedition,  reproduced  from  an  ivory 
drill  bow  in  the  collection  of  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company,  San 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS. 


881 


Francisco,  California.    The  animals  secured  by  the  hunter  are  shown, 
as  well  as  those  observed  by  him  during  the  trip,  but  not  secured. 

Nos.  1  and  2  represent  deer;  No.  •>  is  the  outline  of  a  porcupine,  next 
to  which  is  the  habitation  of  the  hunter,  No.  4.  Smoke  is  seen  issuing 
from  the  roof  of  the  hut,  while  at  the  door  is  the  hunter's  wife  with  a 
vessel,  No.  5.  At  No.  0  is  the  outline  of  the  hunter  himself  in  the  atti 
tude  of  shooting  an  arrow,  thus  indicating  the  weapon  used  by  him. 
Nos.  7,  8,  and  9  are  beavers;  Nos.  10,  11,  12,  13,  and  14  are  martens; 
No.  15  is  a  vessel,  according  to  the  interpretation  given  by  Naomoff, 
although  there  are  no  specific  characters  to  identify  it  different  from 


b 

Fig.  102. 
HUNTING  SCORE  ENGRAVED  ON  IVORY.      (AFTER  MURDOCK.) 

the  preceding;  No.  16  is  a  land  otter;  No.  17  represents  a  bear,  while 
No.  18  is  a  fox;  No.  19  is  a  walrus,  the  tusks  being  perceptible  at  the 
left  side;  No.  20  is  a  seal,  while  No.  21  represents  a  wolf. 

As  above  remarked,  the  animals  are  all  indicated;  those  with  the 
heads  turned  toward  the  hunter  were  secured,  while  those  with  the 
head  turned  away  from  him  were  observed,  but  not  secured. 

The  story  told  by  the  pictograph,  together  with  the  text  in  the 
Kiate^a'mut  dialect  of  the  Innuit  language,  is  as  follows : 

Hui'nuna'gra  hui'puqtu'a    picu'qulu'a  mus'quli'qnut.   pamu'qtulit' 

I  (from)  my  place  I  went  hunting  (for)  skins.  Martens 

(settlement) 

NAT  Mrs  05 50 


882  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

taqi'men,       ami'daduk'       ajlaluk',      a'quia'mnk       piqu'a      ajlaluk'; 

five,  weasel  one,  land  otter  caught  one : 

kuqu'lu'hunumuk'    ajlaluk',    tun'dumuk    tn/guqli'ugu/    melu'ganuk', 

wolf  one,  deer  (I)  killed  two, 

pe'luk      pinai'unuk,       nu'nuk      pit'quni',       maklak'muk      pit'quni', 

beaver  three.  porcupine       (I)  caught  none,  seal  (I)  caught  none, 

atshi'anamuk'       pit'quni',      uaqi'larnuk'       pit'quni',       tagu'^amuk' 

walrus        (I)  caught  none,        fox        (I)  caught  none,        bear 

pit'quni'. 

(I)  caught  none. 

In  the  collection  from  Point  Barrow  is  one  example,  of  wlricli  an 
illustration  is  here  reproduced  in  fig.  102.  It  is  a  piece  of  the  edge  of 
an  old  snow  shovel,  and  measures  4.2  inches  long,  with  a  loop  of  thong 
at  the  upper  edge  to  admit  of  suspension.  It  is  covered  on  both  sides 
with  freshly  incised  figures,  colored  with  red  ocher,  and  is  described 
by  Mr.  Murdoch  as  follows:1 

The  obverse  is  bordered  with  a  single  narrow  line.  At  the  left  is  a  man  standing 
with  arms  outstretched,  supporting  himself  by  two  slender  staffs  as  long  as  ho  is. 
In  the  middle  are  three  rude  figures  of  tents,  very  high  and  slender.  At  the  right 
is  a  hornless  reindeer  heading  to  the  left,  with  a  man  standing  on  its  hack  with 


Fig. 103. 

HUNTING  SCORE  ENGRAVED  ON  IVORY.      POINT  BARROW.      (AFTER  MURDOCH.) 

his  legs  straddled  apart  and  his  arms  uplifted.  Oil  the  reverse  there  is  no  border, 
but  a  single  dog  and  a  man  who  supports  himself  with  a  long  staff  are  dragging  an 
empty  rail  sledge  toward  the  left. 

I  find  no  mention  of  the  use  of  any  such  scores  among  the  eastern  Eskimo. 

The  engraving  represented  in  fig.  103  is  from  a  fiat  piece  of  the  out 
side  of  a  walrus  tusk  9.7  inches  long  and  1.8  wide  at  the  broader  end. 
The  engravings  are  very  crude,  when  compared  with  some  of  the  work 
from  the  west  coast  of  Alaska.  The  specimen  is  one  of  the  four  pieces 
brought  back  from  Point  Barrow  by  Mr.  Murdoch,  and  the  following  is 
his  description.2 

The  figures  are  incised  on  one  face  only  and  colored  with  red  ocher.  The  face  is 
divided  lengthwise  into  two  panels  by  a  horizontal  line.  In  the  upper  panel,  at  the 
left,  is  a  man  facing  to  the  right  and  pointing  a  gun  at  a  line  of  three  standing  deer, 
facing  toward  the  left.  Two  are  bucks  and  one  a  doe.  Then  come  two  bucks,  rep 
resented  without  legs,  as  if  swimming  in  the  water,  followed  by  a  rude  figure  of  a 
man  in  a  kaiak.  Below  the  line  at  the  left  is  an  umiak  with  five  men  and  then 
a  row  of  twelve  conventionalized  whales'  tails,  of  which  all  but  the  first,  second, 
and  fifth  are  joined  to  the  horizontal  line  by  a  short  straight  line.  The  record  may 
be  freely  translated  as  follows:  "I  went  out  with  my  gun  and  killed  three  large 


'Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  1887-88, 1892,  pp.  363,  364,  fig.  363. 
2 Idem,  p.  362,  363. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  883 

reindeer,  two  bucks,  aud.a  doe.  I  also  speared  two  large  bucks  iu  the  water.  My 
whaling  crew  have  taken  ten  whales."  The  number  of  whales  is  open  to  suspicion, 
as  they  just  iill  up  the  board. 

In  the  above  description  the  author  does  not  state,  as  he  has  done  in 
another  instance,  that  the  interpretation  was  obtained  from  the  native 
owner,  and  it  may  therefore  be  assumed  that  he  ventures  the  interpre 
tation  himself.  The  statement  at  first  that  the  animals  were  deer  and 
later  on  reindeer  is  confusing  in  the  attempt  to  differentiate  between 
the  objective  portrayal  by  the  natives  of  the  two  species  of  animals. 
It  is  evident  that  the  reindeer  is  intended,  because  of  the  unusually 
long,  narrow  antlers  and  their  forward  direction  in  their  position  upon 
the  head.  It  is  unfortunate  that  no  other  pictographs  from  Point  Bar 
row  are  at  hand,  in  order  that  satisfactory  comparison  with  other  rep 
resentations  of  deer  and  reindeer  might  be  made  so  as  to  make  note  of  the 
specific  differences,  as  we  find  so  elaborately  portrayed  in  the  records 
from  Sledge  Island,  Norton  Sound,  and  elsewhere. 

The  reference  to  a  female  animal  is  perhaps  a  random  one,  because 
the  natives  of  Alaska,  as  well  as  the  aborigines  of  North  America 
generally,  are  too  cautious  and  matter  of  fact  to  portray  that  which 
they  do  not  intend.  The  horns  upon  the  third  animal — the  doe(  ?) — are 
too  strikingly  like  those  upon  the  two  preceding  specimens  to  denote 
anything  different  from  them  in  sex. 

The  statement  that  "the  number  of  whales  is  open  to  suspicion"  is 
worth  noting,  as  frequently  a  large  number  of  anything  is  denoted  by 
an  indefinite  number  of  conventional  indications  of  such  objects. 
Various  examples  are  given  in  which  such  large  numbers  have  been 
engraved  with  an  ornamental  or  decorative  motive,  leading  one  to  sus 
pect  the  true  import  intended  by  the  recorder.  A  common  example  is 
found  in  the  ordinary  "war  bonnet"  of  eagle  plumes,  worn  by  several 
of  the  so-called  Prairie  tribes  of  Indians.  The  single  feather  is  gained 
by  a  warrior  when  he  either  kills  an  enemy  or  is  one  of  the  first  four  to 
reach  and  touch  the  fallen  enemy  with  the  coup  stick,  a  bow,  or  any 
other  object.  The  act  of  being  able  to  reach  the  enemy  in  such  manner 
is  deemed  by  the  Indian  to  denote  that  he  is  nearer  and  more  in  danger 
than  the  one  who  may  have  fired  the  fatal  shot.  After  a  number  of 
plumes  have  been  thus  gained  by  a  warrior,  each  to  indicate  an  exploit 
of  valor,  the  number  becomes  inconvenient  for  attachment  to  the  scalp 
lock  and  the  long  plumed  bonnet  is  permitted,  provided  the  one  so 
entitled  thereto  is  able  to  purchase  such  a  decoration,  the  present  value 
of  eagle  plumes  varying  from  $1  to  $2  each. 

In  similar  manner  an  indefinite  number  of  items,  to  denote  many,  is 
often  portrayed  in  pictorial  records  of  various  rudely  remote  peoples; 
and  it  is  probable  that  the  above  is  only  another  instance,  of  which 
others  are  noted  in  the  present  paper. 


884  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

HUNTING  AND  FISHING.    ' 

The  characters  in  plate  69,  fig.  3,  at  Nos.  1,  2,  and  3,  denote  whales, 
while  at  Nos.  4,  5,  6,  and  7  are  indicated  four  American  whaling  ships. 
The  one  at  No.  7  is  placed  in  a  foreshortened  position,  something  sel 
dom  expected  to  be  so  reproduced  by  primitive  peoples. 

No.  8  appears  to  be  an  ice  pan,  at  the  base  of  which  two  men  seem  to 
be  in  the  water  with  hands  uplifted  to  attract  attention 5  while  No.  9  is 
a  seal  fisher  hastening  forward.  The  harpoon  is  seen  resting  upon  the 
rack  upon  the  fore  part  of  the  canoe,  as  is  also  perceptible  in  No.  10. 
The  large  bodies  behind  the  occupants  of  fhe  boat  are  floats  used  to 
retard  the  swimming  and  escape  of  harpooned  seals. 

The  manner  of  hunting  sea  otter  is  as  follows :  In  Alaska  the  Aleuts  or  other 
natives  are  the  otter  hunters.  A  large  number  of  bidarkas  take  provisions  for  a 
day  or  two,  and  when  the  weather  is  calm,  put  out,  often  out  of  sight  of  land.  When 
arrived  on  the  banks  most  frequented  by  these  animals,  the  bidarkas  form  a  long 
line,  the  leader  in  the  middle.  They  paddle  softly  over  the  water  so  as  to  make  no 
disturbance.  If  any  Aleut  sees  an  otter's  nose,  which  is  usually  the  only  part  above 
the  surface,  he  throws  his  dart  and  at  the  same  time  elevates  his  paddle  perpendicu 
larly  in  the  air.  The  ends  of  the  line  dart  forward,  so  as  to  encircle  the  animal  in  a 
cordon  of  bidarkas,  and  everyone  is  on  the  watch  for  the  second  appearance  of  the 
otter.  The  same  process  is  repeated  until  the  animal,  worn  out  with  diviug,  lies 
exhausted  on  the  surface,  an  easy  prize  for  his  captors.  The  skin  belongs  to  the 
hunter  who  first  struck  it,  or  to  him  who  struck  nearest  the  head.1 

Plate  69,  fig.  2.  Capture  of  polar  bear  [?].  The  signification  of  the 
illustration  is  that  a  bear  was  observed  eating  a  seal,  when  the  natives 
of  the  village  at  No.  9  went  forward  in  the  canoes,  Nos.  5  and  6,  when 
one  of  the  bravest  made  the  attack  with  a  spear.  The  seal  is  indicated 
at  No.  1. 

The  figure  at  No.  4  is  not  explained;  while  at  No.  8  a  canoe  is  still 
resting  upon  the  scaffold  drying. 

In  plate  69,  fig.  1,  is  a  record  of  a  whale  and  seal  hunt.  No.  1  is  a 
seal  which  has  been  captured  by  the  two  hunters,  Nos.  2  and  3,  and  is 
being  dragged  to  shore  for  return  home.  The  hunter  is  carrying  his 
seal  lance  before  him  like  a  staff,  while  No.  3  is  carrying  his  at  a  charge. 
Nos.  4,  5,  and  6  are  baidarkas  with  the  oarsmen  within,  the  foremost 
individual  in  No.  6  having  harpooned  a  whale,  which  is  heading  away, 
spouting.  The  object  between  the  boats,  Nos.  5  and  6,  is  a  seal  diving- 
out  of  harm's  way.  The  hunter  at  No.  8  has  caught  a  seal,  No.  10,  and 
on  the  line  is  a  small  disk  which  denotes  the  float  used.  In  some  picto- 
graphs  the  disk  represents  the  opening  in  the  ice,  through  which  the 
line  is  dropped,  although  this  may  be  in  the  air  and  resemble  a  float. 

No.  11  is  indefinite,  while  Nos.  12  and  13  denote  the  summer  or  tem 
porary  habitations,  erected  for  a  short  sojourn  only,  until  the  meat 
has  been  secured  which  is  being  placed  upon  the  rack,  No.  14,  by  the 
person  shown  at  the  left  end,  in  that  employment. 


1  Ball,  Alaska  and  its  Resources,  pp.  490,  491. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895.— Hoffman. 


123  4 


23  45 


34  567 


RECORDS  o 


17  16 


PLATE  69. 


9  10 


11  12       13  14 


15 


10  11 


ORY  RODS. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  885 

The  vertical  strokes  continuing  beyond  this  to  the  end  of  the  record 
are  simply  ornamental,  the  space  being  deemed  too  small  for  further 
records. 

At  Nos.  16  and  17  are  two  baidarkas  to  indicate  that  the  seal  was 
captured  while  on  a  hunt  by  boat. 

The  accompanying  illustration,  in  plate  09,  fig.  4,  represents  a  fleet 
of  canoes,  the  natives  having  gone  on  a  hunt,  although  the  leading 
umiak  only  is  shown  to  be  engaged  in  harpooning  a  whale,  No.  7,  which, 
quite  unusually,  is  portrayed  with  the  tail  projecting  from  the  water. 
The  animal  in  front  of  it  is  a  seal.  The  No.  9  character  denotes  a 
seal  diving  out  of  the  way.  One  of  the  men  in  No.  12  boat  is  making 
a  signal  of  surprise  to  the  boatmen  behind,  as  he  has  observed  the 
whale  in  sight  and  has  thus  given  the  alarm  as  well. 

No.  1  seems  to  have  been  intended  for  a  specific  character,  but  may 
have  remained  unfinished,  merely  touching  up  the  right-hand  end  so  as 
to  be  ornamental.  The  two  figures  in  Nos.  2  and  3  indicate  wolves, 
the  number  captured  by  the  party  in  the  baidarka,  No.  4.  No.  5  is  a 
whaler  observed  by  the  hunters. 


^mnniijifliferpp'**'         ^foMlJTMrnrtm^^ 


Fig.  104. 

RIVAL  WHALE  HUNTERS. 


An  illustration  of  rivalry  in  hunting  the  whale  is  given  in  fig.  104, 
but  the  sequel  does  not  appear.  The  two  boats  were  pursuing  the  same 
animal,  which  is  shown  spouting,  and  the  harpoon  throwers  are  in  the 
attitude  of  casting  their  weapons  at  the  same  instant. 

The  etching  is  strongly  and  artistically  executed. 

Plate  64,  fig.  2,  represents  a  very  old  ivory  bow  drill  from  the  Dio- 
mede  Islands.  The  specimen  is  actually  brown  with  age  and  bears 
incisions  upon  four  sides.  The  surface  shown  in  the  illustration  bears 
at  the  left  a  large  umiak  in  which  are  four  hunters,  the  one  in  the  bow 
being  represented  as  throwing  a  harpoon  toward  an  approaching 
whale.  Beyond  this  figure  is  a  hunter  in  his  kaiak  who  has  thrown 
his  harpoon  at  a  whale,  the  latter  being  represented  with  the  head  pro 
jecting  vertically  from  the  water.  The  short  irregular  character  in  the 
stern  of  the  kaiak  represents  the  inflated  seal-skin  float.  Two  other 
whales  in  this  upright  position  are  shown  to  the  right  of  the  above 
mentioned,  and  they  are  approached  from  the  right  by  two  hunters  in 
a  large  umiak,  the  one  in  the  bow  being  also  represented  as  having 
cast  a  harpoon,  the  line  extending  from  his  hands  to  the  animal.  At 
the  extreme  right  is  a  hunter  in  his  kaiak.  Upon  the  opposite  side  of 
the  specimen,  beginning  at  the  left,  is  a  walrus  being  dragged  forward 
by  four  men.  To  the  right  of  this  group  are  shown  four  kaiaks  each 
with  its  hunters,  and  each  hunter  having  his  harpoon  elevated  horizon 
tally  above  his  head  as  in  the  act  of  throwing.  Behind  the  hunters 


886  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

are  represented  the  usual  figures  of  the  inflated  seal  skins  used  in 
connection  with  the  harpoon  line.  Three  large  figures  of  walruses 
are  next  shown,  upon  the  back  of  the  first  being  portrayed  a  young 
one.  At  the  right  of  the  upright  walrus  is  an  umiak  containing  four 
hunters  who  are  traveling  toward  the  right  in  pursuit  of  a  whale, 
towards  which  the  hunter  in  the  bow  of  the  umiak  is  casting  his  har 
poon.  Upon  the  upper  narrow  edge  of  the  rod  are  a  number  of  small 
figures,  at  the  extreme  left  six  natives  being  shown,  each  with  one  arm 
elevated,  and  a  small  line  extending  from  the  hand  to  the  head,  very 
much  suggesting  the  use  of  the  pipe  as  in  the  act  of  smoking.  Three 
seals  are  next  drawn,  beyond  which  are  two  kaiaks,  and  beyond  these 
the  figures  of  six  seals.  The  entire  series  of  characters  are  arranged 
with  such  apparent  regularity  as  to  suggest  more  of  an  attempt  at 
ornamental  decoration  than  the  portrayal  of  any  experience  in  hunt 
ing.  The  narrow  face  opposite  to  this  bears  two  horizontal  parallel 
lines  within  which  are  a  number  of  narrow  cross  lines  and  two  circular 
indentations,  neither  of  which  appear  to  have  any  special  significance 
further  than  an  attempt  at  simple  ornamentation. 

Another  illustration  of  whale  and  seal  hunting  is  given  in  plate  70, 
fig.  1.  The  four  creatures  indicated  by  No.  1  are  seals,  toward  which 
the  native  in  the  canoe  is  paddling,  No.  2.  Above  him  is  a  small  cross 
denoting  a  bird  in  flight.  The  spouting  whale,  shown  in  No.  3,  is  har 
pooned  by  the  man  in  the  bow  of  the  baidarka,  No.  4,  while  the  man 
behind  him  is  holding  aloft  his  catch — a  large  fish — while  with  his  right 
hand  he  is  also  calling  attention  by  the  gesture  of  surprise.  The  others 
in  the  boat  are  paddling  to  keep  up  with  the  whale. 

Nos.  5  and  G  appear  to  be  seals,  although  the  latter  resembles  more 
nearly  the  smaller  whales,  as  drawn  in  other  pictographs,  yet  this  can 
scarcely  be,  as  the  hunter,  No.  7,  is  lying  upon  the  ground  and  resting 
his  gun  upon  a  ridge  or  rock,  in  the  attempt  to  shoot  the  animals. 

The  hunter  at  No.  8  is  stealthily  coming  up  to  No.  7,  carrying  a  gun 
or  lance. 

No.  0  denotes  three  seals,  while  No.  10  is  a  hunter  awaiting  their 
approach,  he  lying  behind  a  small  heap  of  what,  by  its  remaining 
untouched  by  the  graver,  would  appear  to  be  ice. 

No.  11  is  a  boat  being  carried  out  of  the  water,  a  whale,  No.  12,  hav 
ing  been  killed  and  ready  to  be  cut  up.  No.  13  is  a  baidarka  containing 
some  returning  whales,  while  No.  14  is  a  seal,  the  hunter  taking  it  to 
his  habitation  at  No.  15,  the  interior  view  being  disclosed,  showing 
within  two  of  the  hunter's  family,  one  seated  upon  the  floor  while  the 
other  is  addressing  some  words  to  him,  or  her,  as  denoted  by  the  atti 
tude  of  the  hands.  Another  permanent  dwelling  is  indicated  at  No. 
10,  the  smoke  rising  out  of  the  smoke  hole,  while  the  owner  is  at  the 
side  entering  into  conversation  with  the  others  because  of  the  return 
of  the  lucky  hunter. 

The  accompanying  fig.  105  is  interesting  because  two  different  pur- 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  887 

suits  are  represented,  one  being  interrupted  in  order  to  prosecute 
another.  The  natives  had  £one  out  in  their  baidarkas  to  fish,  as  indi 
cated  by  the  middle  figure  of  No.  2  group  holding  up  two  fish  which 
had  been  caught,  and  the  man  No.  4  also  having  a  large  salmon  (?) 
attached  to  a  pole.  A  whale  was  observed  spouting,  No.  1,  when  the 
boatmen  started  after  him,  the  foremost  one  darting  his  harpoon  into 
the  animal  while  the  one  on  the  stern  began  to  make  signals,  calling  to 
his  companions  that  there  was  game  in  sight.  The  signal  is  the  com 
mon  one  of  holding  aloft,  horizontally,  an  oar  so  that  it  may  be  seen  by 
those  toward  whom  it  is  held  and  intended  to  be  seen.  The  signal  was 
observed,  as  we  perceive  in  No.  3  the  three  men  pushing  into  the  water 
the  baidarka,  lying  on  its  side,  the  middle  man  holding  the  harpoon 
while  the  one  at  the  right  is  pushing  at  the  vessel.  No.  4,  as  already 
stated,  has  a  fish  attached  to  a  pole;  No.  5  is  making  gestures,  also 
calling  to  others  to  come,  while  No.  6  is  seen  walking  toward  the  shore 
with  a  rod,  probably  intended  for  an  oar. 

The  three  small  crosses  in  a  horizontal  line  above  No.  3  denote  birds 
Hying  in  air. 

Plate  66,  fig.  1,  consists  of  a  short  ivory  handle  for  carrying  a  kantag 
or  bucket.  It  is  a  very  old,  yellowish-brown  piece  of  ivory,  and  was 


Jt.  m .  l  M '.  Tl  M  f*T> 


Fig.  105. 

WHALE   HUNT. 

obtained  at  St.  Michaels.  The  engraving  is  characteristic  of  the  locality, 
being  deep  and  boldly  cut.  Upon  the  upper  surface  shown  in  fig.  1 
appears  an  umiak  with  four  hunters,  the  one  in  the  bow  preparing  to 
throw  his  harpoon  toward  a  whale.  In  front  of  the  latter  is  another 
umiak,  the  man  in  the  bow  of  which  is  also  throwing  his  harpoon  to  a 
whale,  while  in  front  of  the  latter  is  a  projecting  fluke,  indicating  an 
animal  of  similar  species  descending  into  the  water,  while  to  the  right 
is  an  umiak,  the  occupant  of  which  is  endeavoring  to  throw  his  harpoon 
into  the  whale  just  referred  to.  At  the  extreme  right  is  another  umiak 
with  four  men,  the  one  in  the  bow  also  harpooning  a  whale.  The  head 
of  the  latter  is  drawn  very  much  in  imitation  of  a  tuskless  walrus,  and 
might  be  mistaken  for  that  animal,  or  a  seal,  but  for  the  spray  of  water 
which  is  represented  as  being  thrown  from  the  blow  holes.  Turning 
the  handle  around,  we  perceive  advancing  from  the  right  two  umiaks  with 
masts  erect,  upon  which  are  several  indefinite  figures.  A  little  farther 
on,  however,  is  shown  a  whale  to  which  a  line  is  attached,  indicating 
that  he  has  been  harpooned,  while  the  shapeless  figure  referred  to  may 
possibly  indicate  the  inflated  skin  which  is  always  attached  to  impede 
progress  in  the  case  of  an  escaping  monster  of  this  kind.  The  curious 


888  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

figure  a  short  distance  above  the  whale  and  directly  opposite  to  the 
nuke  spoken  of  in  the  record  above,  represents  an  island  with  its  ele 
vated  center  and  precipitous  sides.  Upon  the  other  side  of  the  top 
carving  the  drawings  are  a  little  more  delicate.  Two  of  the  most  con 
spicuous  characters  on  the  left  side  represent  seal  nets.  The  two 
umiaks  are  proceeding  in  the  direction  of  a  whale  which  appears  to 
have  been  harpooned,  as  at  the  end  of  a  long  thin  line  there  appears 
attached  the  usual  float.  The  figure  at  the  extreme  end  is  that  of  a 
seal,  while  the  one  to  the  left  of  it  may  be  another  animal  of  the  same 
species.  Between  the  latter  and  the  whale  is  a  very  small  and  very 
delicately  drawn  kaiak.  The  man  represented  has  a  paddle,  while  a 
spear  projects  backward  and  upward  behind  him. 

On  the  under  surface  of  the  bow,  between  two  parallel  lines  but  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  apart,  are  about  twelve  characters  denoting  various 
animals  which  the  hunter  wishes  to  intimate  he  has  killed.  Some  of 
them  can  be  identified,  while  others  can  not,  the  drawing  being  rather 
crude. 

The  specimen  shown  in  plate  59,  fig.  2,  is  from  Cape  Prince  of  Wales, 
and  represents  a  variety  of  hunting  records.  Beginning  at  the  left 
hand  along  the  lower  edge  is  visible  a  very  crudely  carved  figure  of  a 
native  with  a  spear,  following  two  bears.  To  the  right  is  a  native 
kneeling,  preparing  to  shoot.  The  next  four  figures  represent  umiaks 
loaded  with  native  hunters  going  to  sea.  These  are  followed  by  the 
figure  of  a  whale  which  is  being  harpooned  by  the  hunter  in  the  bow  of 
an  umiak  immediately  to  the  right.  The  next  figure  is  that  of  a  dog, 
and  the  next  a  native  who  has  hold  of  a  thong  by  which  he  is  leading 
another  dog.  Then  we  observe  a  hunter  dragging  a  seal,  while  a  short 
distance  above  this  are  small  crosses  representing  birds.  The  next  is 
a  walrus,  to  the  right  of  which  is  a  dog  dragging  a  sledge  upon  which 
is  seated  the  owner.  Turning  the  bow  around,  we  perceive  at  the  left 
four  >-shaped  figures,  indicating  the  end  of  both  records.  The  first 
figure  projecting  from  the  base  line  is  a  whale's  fluke,  then  several 
small  figures  to  represent  walruses,  then  two  men  are  observed  grasping 
hands,  with  apparently  a  spear  between  them.  A  large  umiak  is  shown 
in  front  of  another  walrus,  two  of  the  hunters  in  which  have  raised 
their  spears  to  cast  toward  some  walruses  lying  upon  a  floating  cake 
of  ice.  To  the  right  of  these  animals  is  represented  a  seal  being 
dragged  by  three  hunters.  These  are  preceded  by  another  group  of 
three,  who  are  also  dragging  home  a  seal.  A  single  native  is  next 
shown,  with  a  line  directed  to  a  spot  near  the  base  line,  AYhich  denotes 
a  seal's  head.  The  large  fin-like  character  represents  a  fluke,  as  in  the 
first  figure  of  this  record.  An  umiak  is  then  shown,  one  of  the  natives 
in  which  is  in  the  act  of  harpooning  a  whale,  while  a  native  in  one  of 
the  other  umiaks  has  also  a  line  attached  to  him.  The  record  is  con 
cluded  by  another  umiak  containing  four  men  pursuing  a  walrus. 
Upon  the  under  side  are  a  number  of  illustrations  of  hunters,  some 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  889 

harpooning  walruses,  while  others  appear  to  be  after  some  reindeer 
who  have  taken  to  the  water.  Along  the  narrow  edges  are  also  repre 
sentations  of  various  objects,  one  side  being  filled  more  than  half  of 
its  length  by  a  procession  of  dog  sledges,  the  remainder  being  filled 
with  sealers  upon  ice  floes,  a  whale,  and  some  boatmen.  The  other 
edge  represents  some  very  deeply  incised  and  graphic  outlines  of  boats 
and  marine  hunters,  the  record  terminating  at  one  end  with  some  flying 
birds,  while  at  the  other  two  individuals  dragging  a  seal  are  shown. 

Plate  22,  fig.  5,  is  a  drill  bow  from  Kotzebue  Sound.  The  specimen 
measures  1G£  inches  in  length.  A  sectional  view  of  the  specimen  is 
lozenge  shaped,  so  that  there  are  both  above  and  below  two  faces  upon 
which  records  are  engraved,  making  a  total  of  four  records.  As  repre 
sented  in  the  illustration,  the  record  upon  the  lower  side  consists  of 
seal  and  whale  hunting  scenes.  At  the  extreme  left  is  a  rude  outline 
of  an  umiak,  within  which  are  crude  representations  of  human  beings. 
The  vessel  is  very  close  upon  an  immense  whale,  which  is  evidently 
escaping  from  them  in  the  direction  of  another  umiak  which  appears 
to  be  approaching  it.  The  oblong  figure  to  the  right  of  the  last  named 
umiak  is  an  inverted  boat  placed  upon  scaffolding  for  the  purpose  of 
drying.  Some  partly  eroded  figures  are  seen  between  the  bow  of  the 
boat  and  three  men,  one  above  the  other,  who  are  portrayed  in  the  act 
of  dragging  home  an  immense  seal.  Beyond  this  are  three  umiaks 
filled  with  hunters,  while  still  farther  to  the  right  are  two  or  three 
walruses  swimming  in  the  water.  To  the  right  of  the  last  named  is  a 
figure  very  much  resembling  the  conventional  outline  of  a  wolf,  while 
beyond  that,  to  the  right,  is  a  low  elongated  structure,  heavily  etched, 
which  represents  a  winter  habitation.  Above  the  entrance  is  a  human 
figure,  with  arms  extended,  as  if  attracting  attention  to  something. 
Beyond  this  structure,  to  the  right,  is  a  very  delicately  engraved  scaf 
fold,  upon  which  food  or  other  similar  materials  are  placed  for  safety. 

Along  the  upper  surface  of  this  bow,  beginning  where  the  previous 
story  ended,  we  find  a  storehouse  erected  on  stilts  attached  to  the  ordi 
nary  winter  habitation,  upon  and  about  which  are  the  outlines  of  some 
human  beings.  A  food  rack  is  erected  above  the  entrance  to  this  habi 
tation,  from  the  horizontal  bar  of  which  are  suspended  objects  which 
are  probably  pieces  of  meat  or  fish,  as  the  occupants  appear  to  be  seal 
hunters,  two  of  them  being  represented  in  the  act  of  dragging  home 
seals.  Just  to  the  right  of  this  is  a  grazing  deer  whose  legs  are 
unnaturally  long,  and  in  front  of  this  is  an  umiak  holding  four  hunters. 
The  two  small  figures  to  the  right  of  the  last  named  are  seal  heads 
protruding  from  the  water.  Beyond  this  is  another  umiak  with  four 
hunters  whose  arms  are  in  various  attitudes  as  if  in  earnest  conversa 
tion.  The  small  mound-like  figure  at  the  bow  of  this  boat  represents 
the  shore,  and  immediately  to  the  right  are  shown  three  natives  drag 
ging  home  upon  its  back  a  huge  seal.  Beyond  this  animal  are  other 
hunters  similarly  engaged.  The  oblong  outline  somewhat  resembling 


890 


REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 


a  canoe  lying  on  its  side  can  not  be  determined.  To  the  right  of  this, 
however,  is  another  figure  of  a  seal  being  dragged  toward  the  right, 
and  approaching  two  men  whose  arms  are  uplifted  as  if  in  joy  at 
receiving  assistance.  The  partly  obliterated  figure  of  a  human  being 
is  seen  approaching  the  entrance  to  one  of  the  ordinary  winter  habita 
tions,  from  the  door  of  which,  as  well  as  from  the  middle  portion, 

.^**- 


V 


Fig. 106. 
WHALE  HUNTERS. 

appear  two  vertical  sticks  with  small  figures  at  the  top,  both  repre 
senting  votive  offerings.  The  scaffold  at  the  right  represents  a  store 
house  used  for  food  or  grain. 

In  fig.  10()  is  presented  another  illustration  of  the  indication,  picto- 
rially,  of  what  the  hunter  desired,  or  saw,  and  how  much  thereof  he 
secured.  The  three  men  in  the  baidarka  are  headed  toward  two  whales, 
the  foremost  one  of  the  former,  he  in  the  bow,  being  represented  in  the 
act  of  casting  a  harpoon,  the  dotted  line  indicating  the  course.  The 
whale  struck  by  the  weapon  is  headed  toward  the  hunters,  indicating 
that  he  was  captured  j  whereas  the  second  whale  is  going  in  the  con 
trary  direction,  denoting  that  he  had  been  observed  and  very  much 
wanted,  perhaps,  but  not  captured.  The  short  projections  above  the 
heads  of  the  whales  denote  fins — and  seem  thus  to  specify  the  finback. 

The  cruciform  figures 
denote  fiying  birds. 

A  peculiarly  inter 
esting  specimen  of  art 
is  illustrated  in  fig. 
107,  and  consists  of  a 
flat  piece  of  ivory,  4 
inches  long  and  1.2 
inches  wide,  roughly 
carved  and  covered 
with  incised  figures. 
The  specimen  is  made 
of  a  fragment  of  an 
old  snow- shovel  edge, 
is  perforated  at  one  end,  and  has  attached  to  it  by  a  strand  of  sinew  a 
little  handle  formed  of  ivory,  and  represents  two  bowhead  whales  with 
the  heads  attached,  so  that  a  slight  stricture  results,  about  which  the 
cord  is  tied. 

The  spiracles  on  the  effigies  are  incised  and  blackened. 

"The  upper  edge  is  carved  into  five  distinct  heads — first,  a  rude 

bear's  head,  with  the  eyes  and  nostrils  incised  and  blackened  as  usual  j 

then  four  human  heads,  with  a  face  on  each  side.     The  front  faces  have 

the  noses  and  brows  in  low  relief,  and  the  eyes,  nostrils,  and  mouths 


Fig.  107. 

IVORY  CARVING  BEARING  PICTOGRAPHS,  POINT  BARROW. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  891 

incised  and  blackened;  the  back  ones  are  flat,  with  the  last  three 
features  indicated  as  before.  At  the  end  is  a  rude  figure  of  a  bear, 
heading  toward  the  right,  with  the  ears  in  relief,  the  eyes  and  mouth 
roughly  incised  and  blackened,  and  the  legs  indicated  by  roughly 
incised  and  blackened  lines  on  the  obverse  face.  Both  faces  are  cov 
ered  with  rudely  incised  and  blackened  lines. 

"On  the  obverse  there  is  a  single  vertical  line  between  each  pair  of 
heads.  Below  the  bear's  head  is  a  bear  heading  toward  the  right; 
under  the  first  human  head,  an  umiak  with  four  men;  under  the  sec 
ond,  a  'killer1'  (Orca)  heading  toward  the  right;  under  the  third,  two 
of  the  usual  conventionalized  whales'  tails  suspended  from  a  cross  line; 
and  under  the  last,  a  'killer'  with  very  large  <  flukes'  heading  toward 
the  left. 

"On  the  reverse  there  are,  below  the  bear,  a  bear  heading  toward 
the  right,  below  each  of  the  human  heads  a  whale's  tail  with  the  flukes 
up,  and  under  the  bear's  head  a  bear  heading  toward  the  right."1  This 
end  is  perforated  as  before  stated. 

Fig.  108  represents  a  village  near  a  stream,  or  the  seashore.  Nos.  1 
and  3  are  habitations,  while  the  structure  at  No.  2  represents  a  store- 


3  45 

Fig.  108. 

FISHING  NEAR  THE  VILLAGE. 


house,  a  box-like  receptacle  built  upon  poles  within  which  to  store  food. 
Upon  the  entrance  way  of  No.  3  is  seen  a  man  occupied  in  some  ordi 
nary  occupation,  but  at  his  left  is  a  vertical  pole  upon  which  is  a  short 
transverse  line,  the  effigy  of  a  bird  or  fish,  most  probably  the  former. 
This  is  a  votive  ottering,  or  "shaman  stick/'  erected  to  the  memory  of 
a  departed  member  of  the  family.  Bird  carvings  are  deemed  the  best 
that  can  be  selected,  flying  spirits  or  demons,  typified  by  birds,  being 
considered  good  omens,  whereas  walking  or  crawling  ones  are  often 
malevolent. 

To  the  right  of  the  man,  over  the  entrance  to  the  habitation,  is  another 
"shaman  stick,"  erected  probably  with  the  same  motive  as  the  preced 
ing  one,  though  to  indicate  a  second  person,  only  one  stick  being  erected 
to  one  individual  at  the  same  place. 

The  four  figures  seated  upon  the  ground  at  the  water's  edge  —  Nos. 
4-7  —  denote  four  persons  fishing,  the  floats  being  visible  on  the  lines  of 
Nos.  6  and  7. 

Fig.  109  represents  a  party  of  fishermen,  the  three  figures  at  the 
right  being  in  a  seated  posture.  Considerable  surface  erosion  by  con 
stant  use  has  weakened  the  lines  at  the  left  side  to  such  an  extent  as 


Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  1887-88, 1892,  pp.  397,  398,  iig.  398. 


892 


REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 


345  6 

Fig.  109. 

FISHING  AVITH  HOOK   AND  LINE. 


to  make  interpretation  more  difficult.  The  long  upright  lines  may  have 
been  intended  to  denote  rods,  as  a  similar  line  in  the  hands  of  No.  G  is 
known  to  be. 

No.  3  may  have  had  a  rod  and  line  attached  to  his  hands,  as  in  Nos. 
6  and  7,  but  the  surface  here  is  perfectly  smooth  and  polished,  thus 

obliterating   all   evidence 
of  such  implements. 

As  many  of  the  ivory 
drill  bows  and  bag  handles 
have  inscribed  upon  them 
records  of  seal  hunts  in 
which  are  found  engrav 
ings  of  natives  dragging  seal,  it  seems  proper,  if  not  necessary,  to 
illustrate  the  utensil  with  which  the  dragging  is  performed.  Fig.  110 
represents  a  seal  drag,  an  article  with  which  every  seal  hunter  is  pro 
vided  and  carries  with  him  for  dragging  home  his  game.  This  consists 
of  a  small  ivory  handle  or  knob,  to  which  is  secured  a  stout  thong 
doubled  at  the  other  end  in  a  bight  about  18  inches  long.  The  bight  is 
looped  into  an  incision  in  the  animal's  lower  jaw,  while  the  knob  serves 
for  attaching  a  longer  line  or  the  end  of  a  dog's  harness.  The  seal  is 
dragged  on  his  back,  and  runs  as  smoothly  as  a  sled.  The  illustration 
of  the  drag  referred  to  above  is  one 
of  a  small  collection  in  the  National 
Museum,  and  marked  as  from  Point 
Barrow.1 

Some  of  these  ivory  knobs  show 
slight  markings  or  incisions  to  serve 
as  ornamentation,  as  shown  in  plate 
26,  fig.  3,  though  the  greater  number 
are  carved  in  symmetrical  forms,  and 
usually  in  imitation  of  seals,  whales, 
or  something  of  this  kind. 

Floats  of  inflated  seal  skin  are  used 
in  capturing  whale  and  walrus.    An 
excellent  specimen  from  Point  Bar 
row,2  fig.  Ill,  will  serve  to  illustrate 
the  general  appearance  of  the  float, 
and  will  furthermore  serve  to  make 
intelligible  the  peculiar  fish-like  ob 
ject  portrayed  on  some  ivory  records,  where  the  seal  fisher  is  repre 
sented  as  in  his  kaiak,  with  the  harpoon  and  float  projecting  backward 
from  the  body.    The  accompanying  illustration  is  here  reproduced  from 
the  Point  Barrow  report  by  Mr.  Murdoch. 

The  village  in  plate  70,  fig.  2,  is  located  at  Nos.  1  and  2,  the  store- 


1  Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  1887-88, 1892,  p.  256,  lig.  257  n. 
2 Idem,  p.  246. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895.— Hoffman. 


2  3 


78  9 


WHALE  AND  SEAL 


PLATE  70. 


^rcMmiifoBiufmu.uLi 


JNTINQ  RECORDS. 


11  12 


13  14 


15  16 


8  9  10 


11 


12 


13       14 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  893 

Iiouse  being  at  the  extreme  left  end  of  the  first  house.  Smoke  is 
rising  from  the  middle  elevation,  while  upon  the  entrance  are  two 
persons,  one  of  whom  is  shown  with  his  arms  elevated,  as  if  hailing 
some  one,  while  the  second  appears  to  be  in  conversation  with  the  man 
on  the  scaffold  belonging  to  the  next  house,  at  No.  2.  On  the  latter 
are  two  people  pulling  up  a  ladder  to  get  the  hunter  to  bring  up  the 
meat,  when  the  seal,  dragged  by  No.  3,  is  eaten  up.  The  hunter's  dog  is 
following.  No.  4  denotes  two  men  pulling  at  a  seal,  while  those  at  No. 
5  are  similarly  engaged.  Nos.  6,  7,  8,  and  1)  are  also  taking  home  their 
captures.  The  figure  in  the  air,  between  Nos.  7  and  8,  resembles  the 
usual  outline  of  an  evil  spirit,  as  portrayed  in  connection  with  cere 
monial  performances  of  shamans,  but  in  the  present  connection  the 
import  of  the  character  is  unintelligible,  unless  the  artist  intended  to 
represent  one  of  the  natives  in  the  act  of  jumping. 

No.  10  denotes  two  seals,  No.  11  a  water  bird,  while  No.  12  indicates 
a  canoe  with  the  rowers  standing  about  in  conversation,  in  which  the 
inhabitants  of  No.  13  are  participating. 


Fig. 111. 

INFLATED   SEAL-SKIN  FLOAT. 

No.  14  is  the  storehouse  or  scaffold  belonging  to  the  occupants  of 
No.  13. 

Plate  22,  fig.  5,  represents  another  drill  bow  or  bag  handle  from 
Kotzebue  Sound.  The  square  object  on  poles,  afc  the  right  end  upper 
line,  represents  a  cache  or  granary,  while  the  dome- shaped  structure  is 
a  winter  habitation,  on  the  entrance  to  which  is  a  native  with  his  arm 
directed  downward,  as  if  indicating  that  place  for  some  particular 
reason.  The  next  character  represents  a  scaffold  used  for  drying  meat 
or  fish.  Two  men  are  represented  as  approaching  the  rack,  both 
dragging  an  oddly  formed  character,  probably  intended  to  represent 
a  seal.  The  mammal  is  a  reindeer,  while  to  the  right  is  an  umiak 
containing  four  men  approaching  two  figures,  the  forms  of  which  are 
not  sufficiently  distinct  to  identify. 

Beyond  these,  however,  are  two  seals  whose  heads  are  seen  protrud 
ing  from  the  surface  of  the  water.  Another  umiak  is  shown,  beyond 
which  three  men  are  shown  dragging  a  seal  or  walrus.  These  are 
followed  by  three  others  similarly  occupied.  The  dome- shaped  figure 


894  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

to  the  right  denotes,  without  doubt,  a  similar  auimal  upon  an  ice  floe, 
the  latter  being  indicated  by  its  having  been  left  white  to  denote  trans 
parency. 

One  man  is  seen  dragging  at  a  seal  to  the  right  of  the  floe,  and  a  little 
farther  on  are  two  men  making  gestures,  the  first  having  both  hands 
and  arms  directed  upward,  while  the  second  has  one  arm  directed  to 
the  left  of  the  rod,  while  with  the  other  the  hand  is  flexed  toward  his 
head,  as  if  beckoning  to  some  one  at  his  left  and  indicating  the  direction 
to  his  right. 

The  walrus  have  been  surprised  by  hunters,  as  shown  in  plate  70, 
fig.  3,  many  of  them  swimming  away,  as  shown  in  No.  3,  one  animal 
having  its  young  still  resting  upon  its  back.  The  ice  pan  at  No.  2  has 
three  animals  remaining  upon  it,  a  young  walrus  at  its  mother's  back 
being  indicated  in  the  middle  figure,  while  the  largest  figure  is  already 
harpooned,  its  flippers  (?)  being  extended  in  its  endeavor  to  slip  into 
the  sea  and  escape.  The  middle  boatman  in  No.  4  is  holding  aloft  his 
paddle,  thus  calling  for  assistance,  the  signal  being  visible,  perhaps,  by 
other  hunters,  who  will  at  once  respond.  In  No.  5  the  hunter  had  har 
pooned  his  walrus,  which  immediately  attempted  to  escape  by  resorting 


234  5 

Fig. 112. 

A   WALRl'S   HUNT. 

to  an  ice  pan,  upsetting  the  canoe  and  dragging  it  upon  the  ice,  and  at 
the  same  time  throwing  into  the  water  the  unfortunate  hunter,  whose 
head  and  shoulders  are  seen  projecting  above  the  base  line,  here  indi 
cating,  also,  the  water  line. 

In  fig.  112  is  shown  a  remarkably  graphic  illustration.  The  artist 
was  of  more  than  ordinary  cleverness,  and  the  engraving  scarcely 
requires  any  description.  The  animals  noted  in  No.  1,  the  middle  one 
on  the  ice  pan  in  No.  5,  and  the  one  to  the  right — the  last  but  one — are 
each  shown  with  their  young  upon  the  back. 

The  ice  pan  upon  which  the  animals  had  been  floating  is  indicated  by 
an  outline  only,  the  body  being  left  white  and  in  imitation  of  nature. 

Plate  21,  fig.  2,  represents  the  back  of  bow  shown  elsewhere.  As 
before,  there  is  an  upper  and  lower  face  upon  which  hunting  records 
are  portrayed.  Beginning  with  the  upper  surface  at  the  right-hand 
side,  we  perceive  four  walruses,  to  the  right  of  which  is  an  umiak  occu 
pied  by  four  hunters.  The  one  in  the  bow  appears  to  have  a  short- 
handled  ax,  while  the  second  has  one  arm  uplifted,  and  directed  forward 
from  the  mouth  appears  a  short  line  terminating  in  zigzag,  which  is 
believed  not  to  be  accidental  but  intentional,  and  indicates  voice  or 
speech,  sound  being  portrayed  in  other  pictographs  as  well,  seemingly 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  895 

indicating  this  extent  of  acquaintance  with  the  recording  of  subjective 
ideas.  The  third  person  in  the  boat  is  using  the  paddle,  while  the  one 
at  the  stern  has  a  weapon  of  some  kind  with  which  he  is  attempting  to 
keep  off  an  aggressive  walrus  which  is  following  them. 

To  the  right  of  this  is  another  umiak  paddling  toward  the  right  in 
the  direction  of  the  three  walruses  represented.  Above  the  middle 
of  this  is  a  small  cross  which  denotes  a  bird.  The  next  figure  repre 
sents  an  umiak  in  which  are  four  people  close  to  the  body  of  a  whale 
which  has  been  harpooned.  The  elongated  curved  figure  resting  upon 
two  short  vertical  lines  represents  a  boat  on  shore  and  on  a  scaffold 
drying.  At  a  distance  of  about  14  inches  from  this  is  shown  a  whale 
in  the  act  of  diving,  as  is  intimated  by  the  fact  of  the  greater  portion 
of  the  body  being  directed  upward  while  the  head  is  down  in  the  water, 
as  shown  by  the  spray  which  emanates  from  the  blow  hole  in  contact 
with  the  surface.  The  oblong  cross  above  this  represents  a  bird.  The 
adjoining  characters  to  the  right  can  not  be  definitely  determined. 
The  figures  at  the  end,  however,  represent  two  winter  habitations  with 
the  accompanying  granaries  and  the  presence  of  human  figures. 

Turning  the  bow  around  and  following  the  remaining  faces  from  the 
left  hand,  we  find  first  a  winter  habitation  with  smoke  rising  from  the 
center,  in  front  of  which  is  a  tent  with  a  vertical  pole  projecting  upward 
atthe  right.  A  native  is  seen  dragging  home  a  seal,  while  to  the  right 
are  more  human  figures  apparently  embarking  in  umiaks,  three  of  these 
vessels  being  under  way.  Beyond  the  bow  of  the  right-hand  boat  and 
upon  the  base  line  are  two  figures  which  represent  seals,  while  of  the 
two  in  the  air  the  one  at  the  left  represents  a  fox  or  wolf  and  that  at 
the  right  a  bird.  The  remaining  half  of  the  space  upon  this  bow  is 
filled  with  a  procession  of  natives  dragging  home  seals,  eight  of  these 
animals  being  shown.  The  vertical  sticks  used  by  these  natives  are 
seal  spears,  which  they  employ  to  aid  locomotion. 

Plate  24,  fig.  3,  represents  a  drill  bow  from  Nubuiakhchugaluk, 
collected  by  Mr.  E.  W.  Nelson. 

The  specimen  measures  12  finches  in  length,  and  is  rudely  decorated 
both  above  and  beneath.  The  figure  at  the  extreme  left  is  partly 
obliterated.  The  next  represents  a  native  in  his  kaiak  in  the  act  of 
throwing  a  harpoon  toward  a  walrus,  which  he  is  closely  pursuing,  and 
beyond  which  are  four  other  animals  of  the  same  species.  The  next 
figure  represents  an  umiak  with  three  occupants,  the  one  nearest  the 
bow  being  represented  as  in  the  act  of  throwing  a  harpoon.  Two  large 
crude  figures  of  walruses  are  between  this  boat  and  another  umiak,  in 
which  are  three  persons,  the  one  at  the  stern  being  shown  with  the 
rudder,  the  one  in  the  middle  having  both  arms  extended  and  upward 
as  if  in  surprise,  and  the  one  at  the  bow  being  in  the  act  of  throwing  a 
harpoon  toward  a  whale.  Above  this  are  five  birds,  indicated  by  crude 
crosses.  To  the  right  of  the  whale  is  a  native  with  bow  and  arrow, 
preparing  to  shoot  toward  a  reindeer.  The  triangular  figure  to  the 


896  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL   MUSEUM,  1895. 

right  of  the  reindeer  appears  to  be  a  summer  habitation,  while  the 
figure  of  a  mammal  at  the  extreme  right  is  not  drawn  with  sufficient 
accuracy  to  admit  of  identification.  The  under  side  of  the  bow  con 
tains  characters  the  import  of  which  is  very  much  the  same  as  that  of 
those  just  enumerated.  The  edges  of  the  bow  are  decorated  with  hori 
zontal  incised  lines. 

The  record  given  in  plate  60,  fig.  2,  embraces  several  different 
exploits.  In  No.  1  the  helmsman  at  the  end  of  the  large  canoe  is  hold 
ing  aloft  the  double-bladed  paddle  to  attract  attention  and  to  call  for 
assistance,  as  a  walrus,  No.  2,  is  making  an  attack  upon  the  native  in 
the  kaiak,  No.  3.  The  leaning  figure  in  the  stem  end  of  the  kaiak  is 
the  inflated  seal  skin  used  as  a  float  in  hunting  whale  and  walrus. 
No.  4  is  rock  and  indicates  shore,  near  which  is  No.  5,  a  large  animal. 
The  canoe  party  at  No.  G  are  also  making  signals,  seals  having  been 
discovered;  No.  9,  toward  which  the  native  in  the  kaiak,  No.  8,  is 
going,  having  already  thrown  his  harpoon  as  indicated  by  the  weapon 
before  the  bow,  and  securing  one  seal  as  noted  by  the  harpoon  pro 
truding  from  its  back. 

Both  boats  are  near  a  large  rock  showing  a  water- worn  cavity,  as 
in  No.  7. 

Another  native,  armed  with  harpoon  and  float,  is  paddling  along  at 
No.  10.  The  figures  at  No.  11  and  12  are  either  partly  worn  away  or 
incomplete  and  are  unintelligible. 

The  regularity  with  which  the  hunters  and  their  captured  seals  are 
depicted  in  plate  60,  fig.  3,  is  a  step  in  the  direction  of  the  decorative — 
representation  of  a  hunting  exploit. 

Each  of  the  hunters  has  secured  an  animal,  the  hunter  dragging 
No.  2  seal  having  a  bow  and  arrow  while  the  others  have  harpoons, 
the  weapon  being  cleverly  indicated  by  the  barbed  head  in  the  hands 
of  the  native  dragging  seal  No.  10. 

Fourteen  seals  were  secured,  only  one  getting  away  from  the  slaughter, 
as  indicated  in  No.  15. 

The  illustration  in  plate  60,  fig.  4,  is  interesting  because  of  an  attempt 
at  perspective.  The  record  was  too  comprehensive  to  be  engraved  upon 
the  ivory  surface  available,  and  as  there  were  more  canoes  employed  in 
the  hunt  than  could  be  drawn  along  one  line,  in  consecutive  order,  three 
of  them  are  raised  to  appear  as  if  they  were  in  the  air,  though  in  reality 
beyond  the  two  touching  the  water  line  in  the  foreground.  The  canoes 
at  No.  2  are  for  one  person  only,  while  that  at  No.  3  has  nine  people  in 
it.  The  walrus,  which  the  party  is  evidently  going  to  attack,  are  at 
No.  1.  Nos.  4  to  11  embraces  the  habitations  referring  to  the  fact  that 
a  village  is  located  there,  while  the  scaffolds — with  the  exception  of  No. 
6 — are  for  canoes,  the  vessels  being  inverted  and  the  paddles  projecting 
beneath.  The  exception  referred  to  is  a  food  scaffold,  to  which  a  flight 
of  steps  has  been  placed.  Two  persons  are  observed  on  the  roof  of  the 
house  at  No.  5,  watching  the  departure  of  their  friends,  while  a  short 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895. — Hoffman. 


PLATE  71 . 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF   THE    ESKIMOS. 


897 


Fig. 113. 

ALASKAN  NOTICE  OF  DIRECTION. 


colnmii  of  smoke  is  seen  arising  from  the  middle  elevation  of  the  habi 
tation. 

At  No.  4,  food  is  seen  suspended  beneath  the  inverted  boat,  while 
abo\e  it  the  harpoon  is  projecting,  showing  that  the  weapon  is  kept 
near  at  hand  for  immediate  use,  should  occasion  demand  it. 

The  engraving  in  plate  70,  fig.  4,  presents  interesting  details  in  the 
portrayal  of  various  attitudes  assumed  by  walrus  Nos.  4,  7,  9  and  11,  as 
well  as  the  specific  difference  between 
the  canoes,  the  baidarka  holding  more 
than  one  person,  and  the  kaiak,  gen 
erally,  but  for  one  person.  The  former 
is  shown  in  various  styles,  as  Nos.  1,  2, 
and  3,  while  the  latter  is  represented  in 
Nos.  G,  8,  10,  12,  13,  and  14.  The  small 
cross  above  No.  3  denotes  a  bird  in 
flight,  as  also  the  two  figures  of  like 
form  above  the  seal  at  No.  7.  A  large 
w^ter  fowl  still  remains  upon  the  water 
before  the  bow  of  the  kaiak  at  No.  8. 

The  hunter  in  the  kaiak  No.  6  has 
thrown  his  harpoon  into  a  walrus,  while 
the  occupants  of  Nos.  10  and  12  have 

raised  their  weapons  preparatory  to  throwing  them.  The  elongated 
objects  projecting  from  the  kaiaks,  behind  the  occupants,  Nos.  10, 12, 
and  13,  are  inflated  seal  skins  used  as  floaters  for  the  harpoon  line, 
to  impede  the  speed  of  the  harpooned  animal,  and  also  to  prevent 
its  escape  by  remaining  too  long  underwater  or  to 
trace  its  course  while  there. 

TRAVEL  AND  GEOGRAPHIC  FEATURES. 

Locomotion  by  boat  is  graphically  represented  in 
many  records  and  by  sledge  in  occasional  instances. 
Walking  with  the  seal  spear  used  as  a  cane  is  com 
mon,  and  in  one  example  age  is  also  indicated  by 
the  attitude  of  the  bent  body,  a  method  of  portray 
ing  physical  condition  seldom  found  in  Eskimo  picto- 
graphs,  but  of  frequent  occurrence  in  the  records 
of  the  Ojibwa  and  Dakota. 

Fig.  113  is  reproduced  from  a  small  slab  of  wood, 
and  is  explained  as  follows: 

Seal  hunters  thus  inform  their  comrades  that  they  have  returned 
home:  The  first  to  return  to  the  regular  lauding  place  sometimes  sticks 
a  piece  of  wood  into  the  ground  leaning  toward  the  village,  upon  which 
is  drawn  or  scratched  the  outline  of  a  baidarka  or  canoe  heading  toward 
one  or  more  outlines  or  lodges,  signifying  that  the  occupants  have  gone 
toward  their  houses. 

NAT  MUS  95 57 


Fig.  114. 


ALASKAN    NOTICE    OF    DI 
RECTION. 


898  REPORT    OF   NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

Iii  this  connection  may  be  mentioned  a  common  device  used  by  the 
natives  of  southern  Alaska  and  Kadiak  to  indicate  direction  taken  or 
to  be  taken.  When  hunters  become  separated  the  one  first  return 
ing  to  the  forks  of  the  trail  puts  a  piece  of  wood  in  the  ground,  on  the 
top  of  which  he  makes  an  incision,  into  which  a  short  piece  of  wood  is 
secured  horizontally  so  as  to  point  in  the  direction  taken. 

This  device  is  sometimes  drawn  upon  ivory  and  other  materials,  in 
connection  with  other  objects  to  make  pictographic  records,  and  then 
simply  represents  a  character  like  the  letter  T,  the  upper  crosspiece 
being  very  short  in  comparison  with  the  vertical  stroke. 

The  practice  of  erecting  such  sticks  to  indicate  direction  is  very  com 
mon  to  the  tribes  living  along  the  Great  Lakes,  especially  the  Crees 
and  the  Ojibwa. 

Plate  25,  fig.  2,  represents  a  snuffbox  of  walrus  ivory.  This  speci 
men,  which  was  obtained  at  Norton  Sound,  is  crude  and  very  old.  Upon 
the  upper  border  or  margin  is  a  line  encircling  the  specimen,  upon 
which  is  a  series  of  very  interesting  although  crude  figures.  The  only 
engraved  character  below  the  line,  upon  one  side,  is  a  very  rude  sledge 
attached  to  a  long-necked  dog. 

The  pipe  represented  in  plate  71  measures  10  J  inches  in  length  along 
the  lower  outer  curve,  while  the  ornamental  head  in  front  is  1  inch  in 
length.  The  latter  is  easily  removed,  being  merely  an  ornamental  head 
of  the  peg  used  to  plug  the  drilled  tube  of  the  pipestem.  The  stem  is 
three- fourths  of  an  inch  in  lateral  diameter  and  about  14  inches  through 
the  stem  at  the  back  of  the  bowl— from  top  to  bottom.  The  bowl  and 
its  supporting  stem  is  1 J  inches  in  height.  Upon  either  side  of  the  rim 
of  the  bowl  is  a  carved  human  face  with  blackened  eyes  and  mouth, 
the  nose  being  quite  pronounced. 

The  engravings  occupy  the  four  sides  of  the  stem,  the  two  lower 
panels  being  reserved  for  boating  scenes,  while  the  upper  are  retained 
for  game  and  village  scenes.  Upon  the  upper  right-hand  side  are  six 
reindeer,  followed  by  a  wolf,  while  before  the  foremost  reindeer  is  the 
figure  of  a  man  in  the  attitude  of  following  sea  fowl,  evidently  in  the 
attempt  to  secure  some. 

Beneath  this  scene  is  a  fleet  of  eight  umiaks,  under  rail,  while  in 
each  vessel  are  the  outlines  of  human  figures,  one  at  the  bow  of  the 
leading  umiak  reaching  toward,  or  grasping,  the  foresail  stay,  while 
every  helmsman  has  his  oar  to  steer  his  boat.  In  the  fifth  boat — forward 
from  the  mouthpiece  of  the  pipe — is  one  native  smoking  his  pipe. 

On  the  left-hand  side,  in  the  lower  space,  are  six  kaiaks,  each  having 
its  occupant  using  the  paddle,  while  toward  the  stem  is  seen  projecting 
the  harpoon  and  seal-skin  float,  ready  and  inflated  for  use. 

The  upper  space  portrays  a  village  scene,  in  the  middle  being  the 
dome-shaped  winter  habitation,  from  which  smoke  is  issuing;  three 
persons  upon  the  roof  of  the  entrance  are  watching  the  return  of  the 
hunters,  one  raising  his  arms  as  if  hailing  the  latter  with  pleasure  at 


GRAPHIC    ART    OP    THE    ESKIMOS.  899 

their  safe  or  successful  return.  The  hunters  are  at  the  left  dragging 
along  their  kaiaks  upon  sledges.  The  figure  placed  upon  stilts  is  an 
umiak,  suspended  for  drying  and  protection,  while  beneath  it  is  a  dog 
and  his  master  approaching  the  entrance  of  the  habitation. 

At  the  right  is  a  storehouse  or  granary,  built  above  the  ground,  and 
near  it  a  man  calling  or  urging  forward  the  dog  hitched  to  the  sledge, 
upon  which  is  placed  a  load  and  one  person. 

The  artistic  execution  of  the  engravings  is  good.  The  lines  are  very 
uniform  in  depth  and  width,  showing  the  artist  to  have  been  an  expert 
in  the  use  of  the  graver  as  pertains  to  the  mechanical  part  of  the 
etching,  at  least. 

The  lines  are  all  tilled  in  or  stained  with  a  very  black  substance, 
giving  the  work  rather  a  li-arsh  and  new  appearance  and  not  so  soft 
and  warm  in  tone  as  some  of  the  older  and  more  worn  specimens. 

The  engraving  in  plate  40,  fig.  1,  is  very  bold  and  seems  to  present 
strong  evidence  of  perspective  drawing,  not  through  mere  accident  but 
from  intention.  The  gradual  diminution  in  the  size  of  the  buildings 
and  store  racks  at  the  left  end  of  the  record  is  very  cleverly  done. 
The  figure  at  No.  9  is  a  baidarka  inverted  upon  the  rack  so  as  to  permit 
it  to  dry,  while  the  rod  upon  the  entrance  to  the  house  at  No.  8  is  a 
votive  offering,  erected  to  the  memory  of  one  of  the  household.  The 
man  upon  the  roof  is  speaking  and  gesticulating  to  those  at  No.  6. 

The  parties  in  the  canoes,  Nos.  10,  11,  12,  and  13,  are  leaving  to  visit 
another  village,  indicated  by  a  large  habitation  and  storehouse,  Nos. 
14  and  15,  about  which  the  four  human  figures  are  portrayed  as  making 
gestures,  both  beckoning — by  the  hand  raised — and  pointing  to  the 
house,  as  if  desiring  the  visitors  to  come  there. 

There  is  no  evidence  of  want  of  food,  or  death,  as  indicated  in  some 
other  records  presented  herein,  but  simply  an  exhibition  of  gladness  at 
the  return  of  friends  or  visitors  who  appear  to  have  come  within  hailing 
distance. 

The  excitement  caused  by  the  arrival  of  two  whaling  ships  is  cleverly 
portrayed  in  plate  40,  fig.  2.  At  No.  1  is  a  baidarka  still  upon  the  dry 
ing  poles,  while  the  natives  at  No.  2  are  excitedly  rushing  toward  it  to 
put  to  water  and  to  follow  the  other  boats  already  under  way  to  visit  the 
ships.  The  boats  Nos.  3  to  7  are  all  going  along  toward  the  anchored 
craft,  Nos.  8  and  9,  the  anchor  chains  being  designated  by  zigzag  lines, 
thus  more  emphatically  indicating  links. 

The  canoes  at  Nos.  10  and  12  are  coining  from  another  direction,  and 
the  native  on  the  bow  of  No.  10  is  hailing  the  helmsman  on  the  ship 
No.  9.  The  natives  in  both  boats  at  the  right  have  oars  for  rud 
ders.  No.  11  is  a  flock  of  birds. 

The  record  reproduced  in  fig.  115  illustrates  another  method  of  giv 
ing  information  with  regard  to  distress  in  another  village,  which  occa 
sioned  the  departure  of  the  person  by  whom  the  notification  was  given. 
The  designs  were  traced  upon  a  narrow  strip  of  wood,  which  was  then 


900  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

stuck  upon  the  roof  of  the  house  belonging  to  the  draftsman,  and 
made  to  lean  in  the  direction  of  the  course  to  be  taken. 

This  is  shown  in  No.  1,  the  narrow  projection  upon  the  apex  of  the 
roof  denoting  the  stick  5  No.  2  is  the  baidarka,  containing  the  residents 
of  the  house;  No.  3  is  a  grave  stick,  indicating  a  death  in  the  settle 
ment  to  which  the  trip  is  made,  the  stick  being  a  votive  offering,  erected 
to  the  memory  of  the  deceased:  Nos.  4  and  5  denote  the  houses  of  the 
village,  the  triangular  one  being  made  by  leaning  together  boards  or 
slabs,  and  is  termed  a  summer  house,  while  the  dome-shaped  one,  made 
more  compactly  and  covered  with  turf,  denotes  a  permanent  or  winter 
residence.  Both  kinds  are  represented,  and  by  this  method  of  synec- 


12  345 

Fig.  115. 

ALASKAN  NOTICE   OF  DISTRESS. 

doche  the  village  is  indicated  by  portraying  only  one  of  each  kind  com 
posing  the  settlement. 

The  design  shown  in  fig.  116  is  in  imitation  of  drawings  made  by  the 
natives  of  southern  Alaska  to  convey  to  the  observer  the  information 
that  the  draftsman  had  gone  away  to  another  settlement,  the  inhabi 
tants  of  which  were  in  distress.  The  drawings  were  made  on  a  strip 
of  wood  which  was  placed  at  the  door  of  the  house,  where  it  might  be 
seen  by  visitors  or  inquirers. 

Vladimir  Naoiuoff',  the  native  to  whom  reference  has  before  been  made, 
and  who  drew  for  the  present  writer  the  specimen  under  consideration, 
gave  the  following  explanation:  No.  1  is  a  native  making  the  gesture 


Fig.  116. 

NOTICE   OF  DEPARTURE  TO   RELIEVE  DISTRESS. 

indicating  self  with  the  right  hand,  and  with  the  left  indicating  the 
direction  of  going.  No.  2  is  the  native's  habitation,  a  winter  or  perma 
nent  residence,  dome-shaped,  partly  underground,  with  the  roof  thinly 
covered  with  turf  to  keep  out  the  extreme  cold.  No.  3  is  a  scaifold  used 
for  drying  fish ;  upon  the  top  of  the  pole  is  placed  a  piece  of  wood  tied 
so  that  the  longest  end  points  in  the  direction  to  be  taken  by  the  relief 
party.  No.  4  is  the  baidarka  containing  tfhe  party.  No.  5,  a  native  of 
the  settlement  to  be  visited.  No.  6,  a  summer  habitation.  No.  7  is  a 
shaman  or  grave  stick,  a  votive  offering  erected  to  the  memory  of  a 
recently  deceased  person,  the  cause  which  necessitated  the  journey. 
No.  8  is  a  winter  habitation,  in  which  the  deceased  had  resided.  The 


GRAPHIC  ART  OP  THE  ESKIMOS.  901 

winter  residence,  No.  8,  together  with  the  summer  lodge  in  No.  0,  denotes 
the  settlement. 

The  record  on  plate  40,  fig.  3,  embracing  Nos.  1  to  10,  is  similar  in 
style  to  one  explained  by  Naomoff,  and  pertains  to  the  designation  of 
geographic  or  rather  topographic  features  of  an  area  of  country  between 
that  occupied  by  the  recorder  and  another     _________________________ 

place  to  which  reference  is  made. 

No.  1  denotes  three  birds  flying  in  the 
air,  and  No.  2  has  reference  to  four  seals, 
both  groups  of  creatures  being  at  a  shore 
line,  as  the  tree  at  No.  3  resembling  a  pine 
indicates.  The  group  of  trees  immedi 
ately  to  the  right  denotes  a  grove  or  woods,  indicated  by  a  group  of 
trees  being  placed  close  together.  No.  4  is  a  human  being  and  the  inten 
tion  of  the  recorder  is  to  imply  that  natives  are  resident  there — beyond 
the  woods.  Another  grove  or  forest  occurs  beyond  the  settlement,  as 
indicated  by  the  group  of  trees  at  No.  5,  beyond  which  another  hamlet 
is  situated. 

Then  comes  another  forest  at  No.  7,  beyond  which  is  a  locality  abound 
ing  in  seals,  No.  8.  Beyond  this  is  a  range  of  timbered  hills,  the  upland 
being  indicated  by  a  semicircle  covered  with  short  vertical  lines  to 
denote  the  timber. 

No.  10  is  an  ornamental  mark  similar  to  No.  18  in  import,  and  serves 
to  denote  the  end  of  that  particular  record. 

A  hunting   scene  begins   with  No.  11 j  the 
whale  is  moving  toward  the  right,  spouting, 
—    causing  the  walrus,  No.  12,  to  move  out  of  the 
way.    Water  fowl  are  seen  at  No.  13 ;  while  the 

QUARREL    OVER  GAME.  "          .  ,    .      , 

elevations  at  No.  14,  over  which  some  birds  are 

flying  and  at  the  left  base  of  which  is  another  walrus,  appear  to  be 
rocks  protruding  from  the  sea. 

At  No.  15  are  two  other  walrus,  while  at  Nos.  16  and  17  are  two 
approaching  whaling  ships. 

The  character  at  No.  18  concludes  the  history. 

COMBAT. 

But  few  illustrations  occur  in  the  ivory  records  in  the  National 
Museum  collections  in  which  personal  combat  is  portrayed.  Wrest 
ling  is  shown,  in  one  instance,  under  the  caption  of  Pastimes  and 
Games,  while  another  denoting  a  struggle  and  combat  with  a  walrus, 
both  being  in  the  water,  is  given  below. 

Fig.  117  represents  an  Alaskan  in  the  water  killing  a  walrus.  The 
exploit  was  deemed  of  sufficient  importance  to  perpetuate  it  by  record 
ing  the  illustration  upon  a  slab  of  ivory,  now  in  the  museum  of  the 
Alaska  Commercial  Company,  San  Francisco,  California. 

Two  men  having  a  serious  altercation  over  a  seal  are  shown  in  fig. 
118.  One  is  unarmed,  while  the  other  has  a  bow  and  arrow  which  he 


902  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

has  threatened  to  use.  The  unarmed  man's  hands  are  in  attitudes  of 
gesture. 

The  two  struggling  men,  plate  40,  fig.  4,  No.  1,  appear  in  the  attitude 
of  wrestling,  but  the  rapid  approach  of  two  others,  No.  2,  with  spears 
in  the  attitude  of  charging  or  thrusting,  seems  to  lend  more  serious 
ness  to  the  record.  The  position  of  the  legs  of  the  combatants  indicates 
the  portrayal  of  considerable  strength  being  exerted. 

Nos.  3  and  8  are  houses,  the  latter  showing  the  column  of  smoke 
considerably  curved  downward  to  the  right,  denoting  a  strong  breeze 
from  the  opposite  direction.  No.  4  is  a  water  bird,  probably  a  duck, 
while  No.  5  denotes  a  seal.  An  animal  of  this  species  has  been  cap 
tured  by  the  hunter,  No.  6,  who  is  dragging  it  home  to  the  house,  No.  8, 
while  his  wife — perhaps  some  other  inmate — stands  at  the  entrance  and 
with  both  hands  makes  the  gesture  of  request  or  invitation  to  enter,  the 
hands  being  thrown  toward  the  threshold.  Nos.  0,  10,  and  11  are  dog 
sledges  being  brought  back  by  traders  from  some  other  locality.  The 
sleds  are  loaded.  The  attitudes  assumed  by  the  men  in  aiding  the  dogs 
in  pulling  are  very  cleverly  depicted.  Considerable  effort  is  expressed 
in  the  leader  of  the  sledge  at  No.  10,  while  pushing  is  done  by  other 
persons  at  the  rear  at  Nos.  9  and  10.  No.  11  is  lightly  loaded,  as  the 


1  23456  7 

Fig. 119. 

ATTACK  ON  VILLAGE. 

owner  is  seated  upon  the  sledge,  while  his  companion  is  walking  leis 
urely  along  behind. 

The  illustration  in  fig.  119  represents  a  village,  upon  which  an  attack 
is  made  by  some  natives  from  another  locality. 

The  figure  of  a  rack — a  pole  suspended  horizontally  upon  two  verti 
cal  forked  posts — is  shown  in  No.  1.  Fish  for  drying  are  seen  attached, 
the  regularity  of  the  short  vertical  strokes  being  evidence  of  the  char 
acter  of  the  food.  Nos.  2  to  6,  7,  and  9  are  conical  huts  made  of  boards 
and  saplings,  such  habitations  as  are  erected  by  hunting  parties  when 
they  find  game  sufficient  in  any  special  place  to  prompt  their  going  to 
so  much  labor  for  their  protection  against  rain  or  cold.  In  Nos.  8,  10, 
11, 12,  and  13  alarm  is  expressed  by  the  signal  for  assistance,  the  arms 
being  held  aloft  and  waved  to  attract  attention  and  to  indicate  that 
the  presence  of  the  beholder  is  desired. 

No.  14  is  a  tree,  from  behind  which  the  enemy  shot  an  arrow  which 
caused  the  alarm.  The  enemy  had  come  up  unperceived. 

IDEOGRAPHY, 

This  subject  embraces  one  of  the  most  interesting  in  the  entire  realm 
of  pictography.  Among  the  Eskimo  there  is  less  evidence  of  ability  in 
this  direction  than  among  some  of  our  Indian  tribes.  Gesture  signs 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  903 

are  common  to  all  mankind,  but  in  the  greater  part  of  the  United 
States  the  sign  language  is  rapidly  falling  into  disuse,  both  because  of 
the  destruction  of  the  buffalo,  tiie  pursuit  of  which  was  participated 
in  by  many  tribes  of  diverse  languages,  a  condition  which  brought 
about  a  most  highly  developed  gesture  language,  and  also  because  of 
the  rapid  settlement  of  the  country  and  the  consequent  restrictions  of 
Indians  traveling  from  place  to  place,  which  also  served  to  keep  alive 
gesture  speech.  The  adoption  of  the  Spanish  lan 
guage  by  the  Indians  on  the  southwest  border,  and 
the  Chinook  jargon  in  the  north,  also  helped  to  resume 
the  need  of  a  resort  to  gesture,  the  present  methods 
of  oral  speech,  mutually  intelligible,  being  vastly 
superior  and  more  satisfactory. 

The  use  of  gesture  speech  by  the  Eskimo  is  well 
known,  and  repeated  instances  showing  the  attempted 
reproduction,  graphically,  of  gesture  signs  occur  in  the  ivory  records, 
some  examples  of  which  are  reproduced. 

To  facilitate  further  study  in  this  line  of  investigation,  the  writer 
submits  a  collection  of  gesture  signs  used  by  the  Eskimo  and  other 
tribes  of  southern  Alaska,  a  collection  made  some  years  since,  though 
hitherto  unpublished. 

P1CTOGRAPHS   OF    GESTURE   SIGNS. 

]Sro.  1  of  tig.  il'O  represents  a  shaman  waving  his  hands  and  arms,  as 
if  he  were  stirring  up  the  air  above  his  head,  the  motive  being  the 
invocation  of  benign  spirits  to  aid  him  in  his  work.  The  rested  figure 
shown  in  No.  2,  denotes  the  man  making  application  for  aid,  and  his 
arms  are  extended  upward  in  like  manner,  but  in  this  instance  denoting 
supplication,  the  difference  between  the  two  being  that  the  latter  is 
rested  upon  the  ground  to  indicate  his  oak-ing  for  aid,  whereas  the 
shaman  is  portrayed  not  only  erect,  but  in  the  attitude  of 
dancing,  with  his  song  and  incantations. 

The  illustration  given  in  fig.  121  is  taken  from  an  ivory 
drill  bow  in  the  National  Museum,  marked  as  from  Norton 
rig.  121.        Sound,  Alaska.    The  figure  represents  the  gesture  sign,  or 
[GCOVER\  *"      signal  of  discovery.     In  this  instance  the  game  consists  of 
whales,  and  the  signal  is  made  by  holding  the  boat  paddle 
aloft  and  horizontally. 

Fig.  122  represents  a  number  of  natives  fishing  through  the  .ice.for 
seal.  The  individual  represented  at  No.  1  is  dragging  an  animal  out 
of  the  water,  a  hole  having  been  cut  for  breathing  place  at  which  these 
animals  make  their  appearance.  No.  2  has  a  seal  upon  the  ice  and 
appears  to  have  great  difficulty  in  pulling  it  along.  No.  3  is  preparing 
to  spear  an  animal,  his  watchful  attitude  being  apparent.  No.  4  is 
holding  aloft  his  harpoon  or  lance,  making  a  signal  that  he  has  discov 
ered  game,  or  hears  it,  and  thereby  warns  others  near  by  to  be  sileiit. 


904  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

No.  5  is  about  to  thrust  his  lance  through  the  hole  into  the  water 
beneath.  No.  G  has  stuck  his  harpoon  into  the  ice  and  is  erecting  a 
shade  over  the  hole  so  as  to  permit  him  to  see  beneath,  while  No.  7  has 
thrust  his  weapon  downward  through  the  ice. 

Mr.  Dall1  mentions  a  practice  adopted  by  the  Aleuts  when  hunting 
otter,  by  which  the  fact  of  having  thrown  the  spear  is  intimated  to  his 
companions,  when  they  will  at  once  paddle  and  form  a  circle  around 

.sfa^fa   -^        rr        1*  1/&        -Vfr 

123  .4  5  6  7 

Fig.  122. 

SEAL  FISHING  AND  SIGNAL. 

the  spot  so  as  to  attack  with  spear  the  animal  when  it  returns  to  the 
surface  to  breathe.  The  signal  is  graphically  portrayed  in  the  follow 
ing  illustration,  in  which  several  hunters  had  such  exploits,  and  also 
in  many  others,  in  some  of  which,  however,  the  signal  may  also  denote 
the  idea  to  come,  a  call  for  assistance  when  the  animal  is  thought  to  be 
liable  to  escape  or  to  be  unmanageable. 
The  fishermen  found  a  small  school  of  whales,  as  shown  in  fig.  123, 


3&     3K,    -^a*    ^-£ss$> 


Fig.  123. 
SIGNALING  FOR  ASSISTANCE;  WHALES. 

and  three  of  them  have  been  harpooned  while  a  fourth  is  escapiug. 
Help  to  secure  the  monsters  is  required,  and  all  of  the  occupants  of  the 
boats  are  making  the  signal  for  assistance  by  holding  horizontally 
above  the  head  the  boat  paddle.  This  signifies  come,  and  also,  under 
other  circumstances,  game  found. 

Fig.  124  represents  a  record  of  a  hunt,  made  for  the  present  writer 
by  Vladimir  Naoinoff,  in  1882.     The  drawing  is  in  imitation  of  similar 


12  345678  9  10  11  12 

Fig.  124. 

ALASKAN  NOTICE  OF  HUNT. 

ones  made  by  the  natives  of  the  southern  coast  of  Alaska,  to  inform 
their  visitors  or  friends  of  their  departure  for  a  purpose  designated. 
They  are  depicted  upon  pieces  of  wood,  which  are  placed  in  conspicu 
ous  places  near  the  doors  of  the  habitations. 

The  following  is  the  explanation  of  the  characters  :  No.  1,  the  speaker, 
with  the  right  hand  indicating  himself  and  with  the  left  pointing  in  the 
direction  taken;  No.  2,  holding  a  boat  paddle,  going  by  boat;  No.  3,  the 
speaker  holding  the  right  hand  to  the  side  of  the  head,  to  denote  sleep, 


'Alaska  and  its  Resources,  pp.  490.  491. 


GRAPHIC    ART   OF   THE    ESKIMOS.  905 

and  the  left  elevated  with  one  finger  erect  to  signify  one  night;  No.  4, 
a  circle  with  two  marks  in  the  middle,  signifying  an  island  with  huts 
upon  it;  No.  5  same  as  No.  1;  No.  6,  a  circle  to  denote  another  island 
where  they  touched;  No.  7,  similar  to  No.  3,  with  an  additional  finger 
elevated,  to  signify  two  nights  or  sleeps;  No.  8,  the  speaker  with  his 
harpoon,  the  weapon  with  which  he  sometimes  hunted,  and  with  the 
left  making  the  gesture  sign  to  denote  sea  lion.  The  hand  is  held  edge 
wise,  with  the  thumb  elevated,  then  pushed  outward  from  the  body  in 
a  slightly  downward  curve.  No.  9  represents  a  sea  lion,  which  the 
hunter,  No.  10,  secured  by  shooting  with  bow  and  arrow.  No.  11  is  the 


ir 


1234  5678 

Fig.  125. 
ALASKAN  NOTICE  OF  DEPARTURE. 

boat  with  two  persons  in  it,  the  paddles  projecting  downward  beneath 
it.  No.  12  is  the  winter  habitation  of.  the  speaker. 

The  record  given  in  tig.  125  was  also  drawn  for  the  present  writer  by 
Vladimir  Naomoff. 

Nos.  1,  3,  5,  and  7  represent  the  person  spoken  to,  and  no  arms  are 
indicated,  as  no  response  is  supposed  to  be  made  by  him.  No.  2  indi 
cates  the  speaker  with  his  right  hand  to  his  side  or  breast,  indicat 
ing  self,  the  left  hand  pointing  in  the  direction  in  which  he  is  going. 
No.  4,  both  hands  of  the  speaker  are  elevated,  with  fingers  and  thumbs 
extended,  signifying  many.  When  the  hands  are  thus  held  up,  in  sign 
language,  it  signifies  ten,  but  when  they  are  brought  toward  and  back 
ward  from  one  another,  many.  Among  the  "Plains  Indians"  of  Indian 
Territory,  when  both  hands  are  thus  held  up  for  ten,  and  then  thrown 
downward  to  the  left,  it  signifies  ten  times  ten  or  one  hundred.  The 


Fig.  126. 

ALASKAN  NOTICE   OP   HUNT. 


latter  practice  of  indicating  any  number  multiplied  by  ten,  by  thus 
throwing  to  the  left  both  hands,  has  not  been  found  to  obtain  among 
the  Alaskan  natives.  No.  6,  the  right  hand  is  placed  to  the  side  of 
the  head  to  denote  sleep  or  night;  in  this  instance  denoting  many  sleeps, 
or,  in  other  words,  many  nights  and  days;  the  left  hand  points  down 
ward  to  denote  at  that  place.  No.  8,  the  right  hand  is  directed  toward 
the  starting  point,  while  the  left  is  brought  upward  toward  the  head — 
to  go  home,  or  w hence  lie  came. 

The  drawing  represented  in  fig.  12G  was  made  by  an  Alaskan  native 
to  illustrate  that  he  contemplated  making  a  journey  to  hunt,  and  the 


906  REPORT    OF   NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

result  of  that  tour.  No.  1  is  an  undulating  line  extending  from  left  to 
right,  and  represents  the  contour  lines  of  the  country  and  mountain 
peaks;  No.  2  represents  the  native  going  from  home;  No.  3,  stick  placed 
on  a  hilltop,  with  a  bunch  of  grass  attached — so  as  to  be  more  readily 
visible — pointing  in  the  direction  he  took;  No.  4  represents  the  native 
of  another  settlement,  with  whom  the  traveler  remained  over  night; 
No.  5  is  the  habitation  of  the  figure  in  No.  4;  No.  G,  a  long  vertical 
stroke,  representing  the  end  of  the  first  day,  i,  e.,  the  time  between 
two  days — rest;  No.  7,  the  traveler  is  again  shown  to  be  on  the  way; 
No.  8,  making  a  signal  that  on  the  second  day  (the  right  hand  raised, 
with  two  fingers  extended,  two)  he  saw  deer,  No.  9,  the  left  hand  point 
ing  in  the  direction  of  the  animal.  No.  9  represents  the  deer  facing  the 
hunter,  which  attitude  is  an  indication  that  the  animal  was  secured. 
In  fig.  12 la  is  indicated  the  course  pursued  by  one  of  a  hunting  party, 

who  decided   to   return   home,   leaving 
information  en  route  as  to  direction.     He 
ascends  the  nearest  elevation  of  ground, 
a  hilltop  or  ridge,  and  ties  a  bunch  of 
grass  or   other  light 
colored  material  to 
the  top  of  a  long  stick 
•    or  rod.  The  lower  end 
b  of  the  stick  is  placed 

Fig-127-  firmly  in  the  ground, 

leaning  in  the  direc 
tion  taken.  When  another  hill  is  ascended,  another  stick  with  similar 
attachment  is  erected,  again  leaning  in  the  direction  to  be  taken.  These 
sticks  are  placed  at  proper  intervals  until  the  village  is  sighted,  the  left 
hand  semicircular  or  dome-shaped  body  denoting  the  settlement  shown 
by  synecdoche. 

The  drawing  shown  in  fig.  127 b  was  also  made  by  Naomofl'  for  the 
present  writer,  to  illustrate  that  a  settlement  had  been  attacked  by  a 
hostile  party  and  finally  deserted.  The  last  one  to  leave  prepares  the 
drawing  upon  a  strip  of  wood  to  inform  his  friends  of  the  resort  of  the 
survivors.  No.  1  represents  three  hills  or  ranges,  signifying  that 
the  course  taken  would  carry  them  beyond  that  number  of  hills;  No.  2, 
the  draftsman,  indicating  the  direction,  with  the  left  hand  pointing 
to  the  ground,  one  hill,  and  the  right  hand  indicating  the  number  two, 
the  number  still  to  be  crossed;  No.  3,  a  circular  piece  of  wood  or 
leather,  with  the  representation  of  a  face,  placed  upon  a  pole  and  facing 
the  direction  to  be  taken  from  the  settlement.  In  this  instance  the 
drawing  of  the  character  denotes  a  hostile  attack  upon  the  village,  for 
which  misfortune  such  devices  are  sometimes  erected.  Nos.  4  and  5 
indicate  summer  and  winter  habitations.  No.  6  is  a  storehouse  erected 
upon  upright  poles  so  as  to  be  beyond  the  reach  of  predatory  animals. 
The  latter  device  is  used  by  the  coast  natives  generally. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  907 

Fig.  128  represents  hunters  who  have  been  unfortunate  and  are 
suffering  from  hunger.  The  figures  are  scratched  or  drawn  upon  a 
piece  of  wood,  and  placed  where  there  is  the  greatest  chance  of  its  dis 
covery  by  passers.  The  stick  bearing  the  devices  is  stuck  in  the 
ground  and  inclined  to 
ward  the  shelter  of  the 
sufferers.  The  following 
is  the  interpretation  of 
the  record :  Fig  128 

No.   1     is    a    horizontal  STARVING  HUNTKHS. 

line,  and  denotes  a-canoe, 

indicating  that  the  persons  are  fishermen;  No.  2,  a  man  with  both  arms 
extended,  signifying  in  gesture  language  nothing,  corresponding  to  the 
ordinary  gesture  for  negation;  No.  3  is  a  companion  with  the  right  hand 
placed  to  the  mouth,  signifying  to  cat,  the  left  pointing  to  the  house 
occupied  by  the  hunters,  and  indicating  at  that  place  there  is  nothing 
to  eat;  No.  4  represents  the  shelter  occupied  by  the  sufferers. 

The  record  in  fig.  129  is  similar  to  the  preceding  and  is  used  for  a 


Fig.  129. 

STARVING  HUNTERS. 

like  purpose.  No.  1  represents  the  baidarka,  showing  double  projec 
tions  at  the  bow  in  imitation  of  some  forms  of  the  canoe,  the  two  strokes 
at  the  other  end  representing  the  occupants  of  the  boat.  No.  2  repre 
sents  a  man  making  the  gesture  for  nothing,  both  hands  thrown  hori 
zontally  outward  toward  either  side.  No.  3  has  his  right  hand  placed 
to  the  mouth  to  denote  to  cat,  the  left  pointing  to  the  habitation,  No.  4, 
indicating  that  there  is  nothing  to  eat  in  that  house. 


Fig.  130. 

HUNTING  SCENE. 

This  is  used  by  the  Alaskan  coast  natives  generally. 

The  record  portrayed  in  fig.  130,  refers  to  the  success  of  the  hunter 
shown  in  No.  3.  As  elsewhere  stated  with  reference  to  the  position  or 
attitude  of  animals,  it  will  be  perceived  that  the  two  deer,  represented 
in  Nos.  1  and  2,  were  secured  by  shooting,  the  gun  being  indicated  in 
No.  3.  No.  4  represents  a  man  with  a  gun  held  transversely  above  tbe 
head,  this  being  a  signal  to  denote  come,  or  approach,  while  the  indi 
viduals  in  Nos.  5,  6,  and  7  are  in  various  attitudes  with  extended  arms 


f)08  REPORT   OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,   1895. 

Lands,  and  lingers.  No.  5  is  represented  in  the  act  of  making-  a  gesture 
synonymous  with  that  in  No.  4,  attracting  attention  and  beckoning  to 
another  to  approach. 

No.  G  likewise  shows  the  gestures  to  come  or  approach,  the  direction 
of  the  hands  being  earthward,  corresponding  exactly  with  a  common 
and  widespread  gesture  for  the  person  called  to  approach  stealthily. 
Indications  by  gesture  to  come  are  uniformly,  amongst  the  North 
American  Indians  and  Innuit,  made  by  turning  the  palm  downward 
and  drawing  the  extended  index  finger  toward  the  body,  as  if  directly 
indicating  the  path  upon  which  the  person  beckoned  to  is  directed  to 
approach. 

In  No.  7  the  gesture  appears  still  more  excited,  and  the  skill  in 
pictorial  expression  is  certainly  very  cleverly  indicated.  The  right 
hand  of  the  figure  calls  to  the  beholder  to  come,  while  with  the  left 
hand,  as  with  the  right,  the  number  four  is  indicated,  as  is  also  the 
case  with  the  figure  in  No.  G.  The  reason  of  this  is  apparent  in  Nos. 
8,  9,  10,  and  11,  denoting  four  black  or  perhaps  cinnamon  bears,  whose 
heads  are  directed  away  from  the  group  of  human  figures,  and  espe 
cially  so  from  No.  3,  who  thus  intimates  that  he  was  informed  by  his 


5       6 
Fig.  131. 

SIGNAL  OP  DISTRESS  AND  WANT. 

friends  of  four  bears  having  been  seen  in  a  direction  pointed  to  by  the 
left  hand  of  No.  7,  but  which  he  did  not  secure. 

Had  the  heads  been  directed  toward  the  speaker  or  owner  of  the 
record,  as  in  the  instance  of  the  two  deer,  the  information  would  have 
signified  that  the  bears  had  been  captured. 

An  interesting  and  rarely  found  engraving  is  reproduced  herewith 
in  fig.  131.  Specimens  of  like  import  were  described  to  the  present 
wiiter,  and  pencil  drawings  made  to  illustrate  the  manner  in  which  the 
Aigalu;,amut  Eskimo  of  the  southern  shores  of  Alaska  convey  the 
intelligence  that  they  want  assistance  and  that  they  possess  nothing. 

The  figures  shown  in  Nos.  1  and  4  represent  the  habitations  of  two 
families,  the  storehouse,  No.  2,  being  common  property.  Nos.  3,  5,  6,  7, 
and  the  human  figure  standing  upon  the  habitation  marked  No.  4  are 
making  signals,  all  excepting  No.  7,  calling  attention  by  their  uplifted 
hands  and  arms,  while  No.  7  has  his  arms  extended,  to  denote  nothing , 
this  being  a  universal  gesture  for  that  idea.  The  Egyptian  hieroglyphs 
and  the  Maya  pictograph,  as  mentioned  by  De  Landa  in  his  represen 
tation  of  alphabetic  characters,  are  drawn  in  the  attitude  of  out 
stretched  arms,  no  other  part  of  the  body  being  present  or  necessary. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  909 

The  conventional  gesture  sign  used  by  the  Indians  of  the  United 
States  is  to  throw  the  flat  right  hand  outward  to  the  right,  the  hand  in 
the  first  position  being  in  front  of  the  right  side  at  the  height  of  the 
elbow. 

Some  tribes  and  European  nations  who  are  still  profuse  and  prolific 
in  gesture  as  an  accompaniment  to  speech  frequently  employ  both 
hands,  moving  them  outward  from  the  front  toward  either  side,  bring 
ing  the  palms  uppermost,  and  at  the  same  time  giving  the  shoulders  a 
slight  shrug,  an  unconscious  though  effective  emphasis  to  the  gesture. 

The  accompanying  figure  (132)  represents  at  Nos.  2, 3,  and  4  the  hab 
itations  of  a  village  of  which  the  author  or  owner  of  the  record  is  a 
member.  No.  1  denotes  a  water  fowl.  No.  2  is  a  habitation,  from  the 
roof  of  which  project  three  shaman  sticks,  erected  as  votive  offerings 
to  deceased  members  of  the  household.  The  owner  is  also  apparent  on 
the  roof,  occupied  by  domestic  duties.  No.  3  is  another  house,  from  the 
roof  of  which  is  seen  the  issuings  of  smoke.  No.  4  is  another  long 
house,  from  the  right  hand  end  of  which  is  seen  projecting  a  stick  indi 
cating  the  direction  taken  by  the  owner  in  his  departure  for  another 
locality.  No.  5  represents  a  swan  (the  uppermost  figure),  which  was 
observed  by  the  traveler  on  his  journey,  as  also  an  animal,  the  specific 
name  of  which  could  not  be  ascertained.  No.  (>,  however,  is  the  traveler 


1234  56  789 

Fig. 132. 
NOTICE   OF  DEPARTURE  TO  VISIT  NEIGHBORING   VILLAGE. 

himself  seated  on  his  dog  sledge,  holding  in  his  hand  a  whip,  with  which 
he  is  urging  the  dog  to  hasten,  as  the  end  of  the  journey  is  near  at 
hand.  He  is  preceded  by  another  native  (No.  7),  whom  he  caught  up 
with,  who  was  dragging  home  some  game.  No.  8  is  the  house  of  the 
person  whom  the  traveler  is  going  to  visit.  The  left-hand  figure  sees 
him  coming,  and  shows  his  pleasure  by  extending  his  arm  horizontally, 
to  inform  others  of  the  village  that  he  sees  the  stranger  approaching. 
The  figure  on  the  meat  pole  is  said  to  be  exceedingly  pleased  at  the 
news,  and  is  seen  performing  some  athletic  feat  on  the  horizontal  pole 
mentioned.  Another  of  the  household  is  occupied  at  the  storehouse 
(No.  9)  in  preparing  for  the  storing  of  the  game  captured  by  No.  7. 

Smoke  observed  issuing  from  the  roof  of  the  habitation  No.  8  is 
similar  to  that  in  No.  3,  and  resembles  also  in  graphic  execution  the 
tail  of  the  dog  in  No.  6.  Upon  comparison  it  will  be  found  that  the 
water  thrown  up  by  a  whale  in  blowing  is  represented  in  like  manner. 

ABSTRACT  IDEAS. 

But  few  instances  denoting,  or  perhaps  even  suggesting,  abstra 
ideas  have  been  met  with.     The  following  examples  embrace  also  ges 
ture  language  as  well  as  an  attempt  at  recording  subjective  ideas. 


910  REPORT    OP    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

It  is  seldom  that  the  indication  of  speech  is  attempted  by  the  Eskimo, 
but  in  fig.  133  an  excellent  portrayal  of  the  idea  of  urging  by  means 
of  the  voice,  or  calling,  is  given.  The  two  men  are  traveling  with  a 
sledge  and  three  dogs,  the  foremost  of  the  figures  having  a  line  extend 
ing  from  the  side  of  the  head — presumably  the  mouth — to  thele  ader 
of  the  dogs.  The  idea  is  also  exhibited  in  other  pictographs  made  by 

Eskimo,  and  is   not  of  rare 
occurrence    in    pictographic 
drawings  of  the  natives  of 
Fio.  133  Kadiak,  as  stated  by  Yladi- 


NATIVE  SPEAKING  TO  DOG. 

Voice  lines  are  frequently 

and  similarly  portrayed  by  the  Cheyenne,  Arapaho,  and  Dakota  Indians. 
In  pictographs  relating  to  hunting  expeditions  and  pastimes  the  first- 
named  tribe  is  perhaps  one  of  the  most  advanced  in  expressing  pic 
torial  ly  some  of  the  more  difficult  ideas,  not  only  objective  ones  but 
subjective  as  well. 

The  line  extending  from  the  mouth  to  denote  speech  is  a  visible  pre 
sentation  of  the  common  gesture  sign  for  the  same  idea,  made  by 
passing  forward  from  the  mouth  the  extended  index  finger. 

*  -f--*-     -.+ 


1  234 

Fig.  134. 

SHORE   LINE,  OR  WATER  MARKS. 

The  elevated  left  hand  of  the  leader  of  the  party  is  an  additional 
indication  that  he  is  urging  the  dogs  to  quicken  their  pace,  or  perhaps 
to  exert  greater  effort  in  pulling  the  sledge. 

The  illustration  in  fig.  134  represents  several  men  carrying  an 
umiak.  The  vessel  at  No.  3  is  raised  above  the  ground,  the  four  lines 
resembling  props  or  supports  being  the  men's  legs.  The  boat  is  being 
carried  toward  the  water,  the  shore  lines  being  indicated  by  the  vertical 
curves  at  No.  2.  The  artist  felt  that  he  had  not  the  skill  in  perspec- 
tively  showing  the  water's  edge,  and  so 

places  the  water  lines  in  a  position  in  ^^  XAVC^S^T-  A^ 

which  they  may  clearly  be  observed.     V^^w^Vi^^TV^T^        • 
The  four  crosses  at  the  left  of  the  engrav- 

,  „         ,  .    .,        ,  .  _  A  CAPTIVE   WHALE. 

ing  denote  waterfowl,  while  the  figures 

at  No.  4  denote  a  standing  one  in  conversation  and  gesture  with  the 

departing  ones,  and  another  seated  upon  the  ground. 

A  good  portrayal  of  the  wbale  is  given  in  fig.  135.  The  spray — a  small 
character  for  which  is  placed  over  the  highest  ridge  of  the  head — is 
portrayed  to  specify  the  nature  of  the  mammal.  The  oblique  line  pro 
truding  from  the  back  is  the  harpoon  which  was  used  in  the  capture. 

An  interesting  fact  connected  with  this  pictograph  is  the  representa- 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  911 

tion  of  death,  i.  e.,  a  dead  whale  or  killed  whale,  determined  by  the 
presence  of  the  instrument  with  which  death  was  accomplished.  This 
is  rare  in  Innuit  pictography,  but  frequent  in  Indian  art. 

Plate  68,  fig.  3,  is  a  large  bag  handle  from  Cape  Nome.  This  is  par 
ticularly  interesting  from  the  fact  of  the  presence  of  a  variety  of 
human  forms,  some  resembling  the  bird-like  forms  or  wings  very  much 
resembling  the  characters  for  "  Thunderbird,"  as  portrayed  by  the 
Ojibwa  and  other  Algonkian  tribes.  The  left  half  of  the  lower  face  of 
the  bow  represents  umiaks  with  hunters  and  harpoons.  Near  the 
middle  of  the  record  is  a  very  gracefully  drawn  whale  tail  up  in  the 
air,  as  the  animal  appears  to  be  diving  while  the  hunter  is  throwing 
his  harpoon  into  its  body.  Upon  the  upper  half  of  this  same  side  of 
the  bow,  the  two  sides  being  divided  by  parallel  median  lines,  are  a 
number  of  whale  tails,  indicating  whales  that  have  escaped,  while 
others  are  shown  in  the  attitude  of  swimming.  Near  the  left  is  a  very 
conspicuous  umiak  occupied  by  four  hunters.  Over  the  bow  of  the 
boat  projects  a  large  harpoon  resting  upon  the  harpoon  rest.  This 
illustration  is  reproduced  elsewhere  with  further  explanation.  The 
upper  or  convex  side  of  the  bow  is  also  divided  into  two  longitudinal 
ridges  or  faces.  Upon  one  of  these  is  the  portrayal  of  umiaks  rowing 
toward  the  left,  one  hunter  harpooning  an  animal,  while  at  the  extreme 
left  four  hunters  appear  to  be  carrying  an  umiak  toward  the  water,  as 
if  preparing  for  departure.  The  right  half  of  the  record  appears  to 
represent  the  other  line,  as  there  are  several  habitations  with  smoke 
rising  from  the  smoke  holes,  votive  offerings  attached  near  by,  as  well 
as  scaffolds.  In  this  instance  the  latter  are  evidently  for  burial  pur 
poses  and  not  for  food.  This  is  made  clear  from  the  fact  that  the 
votive  offerings  are  placed  in  close  contact  with  the  respective  burials. 
A  little  farther  to  the  right  are  three  men  returning  with  a  sledge  and 
a  single  dog,  two  additional  persons  appearing  to  lag  behind,  as  if 
wearied  or  bent  with  age.  The  representation  of  a  human  figure  car 
rying  a  staff  is  a  common  indication  of  age  or  indigence,  and  occurs 
very  frequently  in  Egyptian  hieroglyphs,  as  well  as  in  the  mnemonic. 
One  of  the  individuals  shown  in  the  Eskimo  record  stoops  forward 
very  much,  and  this  is  believed  to  indicate  age.  Immediately  behind 
him  is  the  rude  outline  of  a  fox,  which  may  have  reference  to  his  being 
a  shaman,  or  he  may  possibly  have  captured  such  an  animal.  To  the 
right  is  a  figure  denoting  a  whale's  fluke,  indicating  that  the  hunters 
are  also  whalers,  because  to  the  right  of  this  fiuke  is  an  umiak  with 
two  persons  sitting  in  it  using  the  paddle.  The  hunter  in  the  bow  of 
this  boat  has  his  paddle  projecting  forward  and  not  quite  touching  the 
water,  the  perspective  being  admirably  represented,  as  it  does  not  cut 
through  and  destroy  the  structure  of  the  boat.  Upon  the  other  face  of 
this  same  bow  are  several  nmiaks  in  pursuit  of  a  whale  and  several 
natives  dragging  seals,  two  of  these  natives  having  attached  to  the  rear 
part  of  their  bodies  appendages  drawn  exactly  like  a  dog's  tail  or  a  fox's 


912  REPORT    OF   NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

tail,  which  indicates  that  the  natives  belonged  to  those  classes  referred 
to  by  Captain  Beechey  in  his  Notice  of  the  Indians  of  Schisma  Keef 
Inlet,  who  wore  such  ornaments  attached  to  their  clothing,  giving  them 
a  ridiculous  appearance,  and  may  probably  have  occasioned  the  report 
of  the  Chukche  that  the  people  of  that  region  have  tails  like  dogs. 

The  remaining  figures  upon  this  bow  consists  of  human  beings  and  a 
few  animal  forms,  near  the  extreme  right  being  a  curious  outline  of  an 
umiak,  the  occupants  of  which  are  shown  with  extended  arms  from 
which  numerous  short  lines  project.  These  may  denote  the  fur  upon 
the  sleeves  of  the  dress,  or  they  may  have  other  signification,  or  they 
may  possibly  be  merely  a  fancy  of  the  engraver. 

SHAMANISM. 

Although  the  Eskimo  are  extremely  superstitious,  and  numbers  of 
them  are  recognized  shamans  of  ability,  yet  there  seems  to  be  a  gen 
eral  scarcity  of  pictographic  matter  pertaining  thereto.  This  is  strange, 
too,  as  among  some  peoples  the  records  are  almost  entirely  devoted  to 
shamanistic  ceremonies,  and  in  several  instances,  as  among  theOjibwa, 
for  instance,  the  mnemonic  and  hunting  records — all  shamauistic — are 
the  only  relics  of  pictography  at  this  day. 

MYTHIC   ANIMALS. 

But  a  few  specimens  portraying  mythic  animals  occur,  the  following 
being  the  most  conspicuous: 

The  accompanying  specimen,  on  plate  72,  is  from  Cape  Prince  of 
Wales,  and  was  collected  by  Mr.  E.  W.  Xelson.  It  represents  a  whale- 
line  guide,  and  is  used  on  the  bow  of  an  umiak  used  for  whale  hunt 
ing.  The  two  pieces  of  ivory,  measuring  in  height  4J  inches,  are 
ingeniously  joined  together  by  mortising,  the  slot  in  either  piece  being 
made  so  as  to  face  its  fellow ;  and  into  these  slots  is  afterwards  placed 
a  piece  to  hold  both  sides  in  place,  by  being  secured  by  ivory  pegs 
which  pass  through  at  right  angles  to  the  connecting  piece,  as  will  be 
observed  in  the  illustrations.  In  the  lower  cut  will  be  noticed  an  addi 
tional  piece,  larger  than  the  round  pe'gs,  which  consists  of  a  large 
glass  bead. 

The  horns  of  the  specimen  represent  the  heads  of  a  mammal,  the 
eyes  consisting  of  wooden  pegs,  while  the  nostrils  are  drillings  filled 
in  with  pegs  which  appear -to  have  been  blackened. 

In  the  upper  figure  are  portrayed  two  thunderbirds  or  eagles,  each 
descending  to  grasp  a  whale,  the  latter  having  spray  in  the  act  of 
being  ejected  from  the  "blowholes."  In  the  lower  figure  the  birds  are 
represented  as  having  secured  the  whales  and  have  risen  into  the  air, 
as  seems  indicated  by  the  form  of  the  whale  on  the  right-hand  side. 
The  engraving  of  the  characters  is  decidedly  bold  and  expressive,  the 
entire  surface  of  the  etched  portions  still  retaining  more  or  less  black 
color.  The  general  artistic  form  of  the  bird  is  very  like  that  usually 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    72. 


land  2.  OKVEKSE  AND  REVERSE  OF  WHALE-LINE   GUIDE.  PLACED  ox  J'ow 
OF  UMIAK,  USED  ix  HUNTING. 

(Cut.  No.  48169,  U.  S.  N.  M.     Cape  Prince  of  Wales.    Collected  by  E.  \V.  Xelst.n.) 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,    1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  72. 


MYTHIC  BIRD  AND  WHALE  ON  HARPOON  REST,  ;      J  :"-***  ;,*  oC 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895.— Hoffman. 


10  11  12  24      2 


9  8 


7          6 


fi* 


2  345 


9  10  11 


1  2 


45  6  789  10 


RECORDS  OF  SHAMA 


PLATE  73. 


21    20    19      18  26  4  15 


14         15  16      7 


1 


12 


f 


14  15 


16 


13  14  15  16 


17 


18          19       20 


.„> 

*fa 

^*r  J1 


11  12  13  14  15 


ic  CEREMONIALS. 


16 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS. 


913 


found  in  Algonkian  pictography  and  does  not  keep  in  general  liar 
mony  with  Alaskan  art,  although  the  whales,  which  are  true,  typical, 
Alaskan  examples,  seems  at  once  to  repel  the  suspicion  of  intrusive 
characters,  or  such  as  are  non-Innuit. 


c 
Fig.  136. 

MYTHIC  SERPENTS. 


Fig. 137. 

MYTHIC    ANIMAL    DEVOURING    NA 
TIVE. 


The  four  perforations  in  the  piece  are  for  attaching  it  to  the  gunwale 
of  the  umiak. 

The  illustrations  given,  a,  I),  and  c,  of  fig.  13G,  represent  mythic 
serpents,  and  are  described  in  some  of  the  folk  tales,  c  very  much 
resembles  the  u  water  monster"  of  the  Ojibwa, 
though  it  is  scarcely  possible  that  the  cult  of 
the  latter  could  have  been  conveyed,  even  in 
the  slightest  degree,  to  the  Eskimo.  Other 
intervening  tribes,  notably  so  those  of  the 
Athabascas  family,  have  serpent  myths,  and 
from  this  people  the  idea  may  have  been  con 
veyed  to  the  Innuit,  especially  as  the  latter 
are  in  frequent  communication  with  the  Kenai  Indians,  the  northwest- 
ernuiost  tribe  of  the  above-mentioned  farniy. 

It  has  been  suggested,  too,  that  the  creatures  may  have  been  copied 
from  or  suggested  by  illustrations  in  newspapers  or  other  literature. 

In  fig.  137  is  shown  a  mythic  creature  taking  up  a  man  and  preparing 
to  devour  him.     The  belief  in  water  monsters  survives  among  the 
natives  of  the  southern  coast,  opposite  the  island  of  Kadiak,  a  creature 
resembling  somewhat  a  reptilian  form  in  imitation  of 
an  alligator,  of  which  illustrations  are  also  given  else 
where. 

The  outlines  in  fig.  138  are  not  sufficiently  specific  to 
indicate  the  kind  of  creature  intended,  but  the  indica 
tion  of  the  heart,  together  with  the  voice  line,  or  life 
line,  extending  therefrom  to  the  open  mouth,  is  very  much  like  some  of 
the  figures  found  among  the  Zuni  and  the  Ojibwa. 

This  peculiar  line  denotes  the  animal  to  be  of  a  mythic  or,  perhaps, 
sacred  character,  and  has  reference  to  ceremonials  known  only  to  the 
shamans  or  members  of  certain  cult  societies. 
NAT  HITS  95 58 


Fig.  138. 

MYTHIC   ANIMAL. 


914  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

In  plate  66,  fig.  2,  is  the  engraved  figure  of  a  seal,  within  which  are 
various  objects,  animate  and  inanimate,  resembles  that  class  of  sacred 
objects  often  carried  by  the  Ojibwa  jes'sakid  or  juggler. 

Fig.  139  represents  a  series  of  characters  only  part  of  which  are 
intelligible.  No.  1  is  evidently — from  the  curve  of  the  horns — a  rein 
deer,  while  No.  2  is  explained  to  be  a  mythic  animal — a  serpent,  as 
similarly  elongated  quadrupeds  have  been  interpreted  by  some  natives. 
No.  3  appears  to  be  the  first  of  a  series  of  seven  figures  (Nos.  3,  4,  5, 
7,  8,  9,  10)  which  are  apparently  decorated  with  fringed  coats,  like  the 
neighboring  Kolosh  and  Kenai  Indians,  and  marks  of  bird  or  other 
faces  upon  their  heads. 

No.  6  is  an  aquatic  bird  in  flight,  which  at«once  shows  the  difference 
in  execution  of  ideas,  the  human  figure  being  bifurcated  as  above  indi 
cated.  No.  11  is  a  mammal,  resembling  the  usual  character  denoting 
tlie  putoridce. 

CEREMONIALS. 

Mr.  Murdoch  remarks  that  at  some  of  the  ceremonial  dances  of  the 
Eskimo,  at  Point  Barrow,  the  participants  wear  masks,  some  of  which 
are  sometimes  decorated  with  slight  ornamentation. 


Fig. 139. 

MYTHIC  CREATURES. 

Gorgets  are  also  worn,  and  fig.  3  represents  an  excellent  example 
with  ornamentations  relating  to  fishing  and  hunting.  The  same  author 
remarks,  also,  that  the  more  southern  Eskimo  of  Alaska  are  in  the 
habit  of  using  in  their  dances  very  elaborate  and  highly  ornamented 
and  painted  masks,  of  which  the  National  Museum  possesses  a  very 
large  collection.  The  ancient  Aleuts  also  used  masks.  On  the  other 
hand,  no  other  Eskimo,  save  "  those  of  Alaska,  ever  use  masks  in  their 
performances,  as  far  as  I  can  learn,  with  the  solitary  exception  of  the 
people  of  Baffin  Land,  where  a  mask  of  the  hide  of  the  bearded  seal  is 
worn  on  certain  occasions.  Nordenskiold  saw  one  wooden  mask  among 
the  people  near  the  winter  quarters  of  the  Vega,  but  learned  that  this 
had  been  brought  from  Bering  Strait,  and  probably  from  America."1 

The  dancing  mask  previously  referred  to  and  shown  in  plate  16  is 
from  Kuskoquim,  and  was  collected  by  Mr.  E.  W.  Nelson.  The  speci 
men  is  of  interest  from  the  fact  that  it  constitutes  perhaps  the  only 
example  of  woodwork  bearing  pictographs  in  color.  The  specimen, 
including  the  lower  pendant,  measures  about  9£  inches  in  length,  the 
width  of  the  largest  piece — bearing  the  eyes,  nose,  and  mouth — being 
almost  3  inches  across.  Upon  the  top  and  right  side  are  a  number  of 
punctures  for  the  insertion  of  feathers,  only  three  of  the  latter  being 
now  present.  The  four  slats  of  wood  are  attached  to  the  main  piece 


1  Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  1887-'88,  1892,  p.  370. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895. — Hoffman. 


PLATE  74. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  915 

by  means  of  thin  strands  of  bark.  The  several  pieces  were  rudely 
besmeared  with  u  white  chalky  paint,  while  over  several  portions  of 
them  are  marking's  in  black. 

Upon  the  left  cheek  of  the  mask  are  four  vertically  arranged  figures 
of  masks,  rather  grotesque  in  expression.  The  lower  one  is  not  as 
elaborately  drawn  as  the  others.  Upon  the  upper  piece  of  wood,  upon 
the  left  of  the  mask,  is  an  outline  of  an  umiak,  with  sail  spread.  In 
the  bow  of  the  boat  is  the  figure  of  a  native  with  hands  and  arms 
uplifted,  while  another  figure  is  visible  in  the  stem  acting  as  helmsman. 

The  markings  upon  the  remaining  piece  are  probably  meaningless. 

Among  the  Indians  of  the  Northwest  Coast,  the  lakutat  and  Tshilkat, 
and  to  a  certain  extent  the  neighboring  tribes,  masked  dances  are  of 
frequent  occurrence,  the  purport  being  usually  ceremonial ;  though  at 
this  day  much  of  the  former  sacredness  of  these  ceremonials  has  become 
debased.  Among  the  Eskimo  ceremonial  dances  are  of  great  impor 
tance,  though  not  of  such  frequence  as  among  their  southern  neighbors. 

In  fig.  140  the  vertical  strokes  shown  by  Nos.  .1  and  10  represent  the 
timbers  supporting  the  structure  within  which  the  dance  takes  place, 
not  sufficient  space  being  available  upon  the  specimen  of  ivory  to  rep- 


Fig.  140. 

CEREMONIAL  DANCB. 

resent  the  roof.  Nos.  2,  7,  and  9  are  the  drummers,  each  armed  with  a 
flat,  tambourine  drum,  generally  used  by  the  shamen  everywhere.  Nos. 
3,  4,  5,  6,  and  8  represent  the  dancers,  marked  with  what  appears  to  be 
bear  heads — made  of  some  light  wood,  such  as  cedar.  The  attitudes  of 
the  dancers  are  remarkably  clever  and  lifelike,  showing  the  various 
attitudes,  both  natural  and  assumed,  in  imitation  of  the  animal  rcpre* 
sented,  as  may  be  found  at  any  dance  of  aboriginal  peoples  when  they 
attain  that  particular  degree  of  enthusiasm  consequent  upon  and  per 
ceptible  to  the  beholder  after  a  feast. 

This  engraving,  plate  73,  fig.  2,  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  on 
account  of  the  portrayal  of  the  transmission  of  sound,  a  stage  of  devel 
opment  found  in  but  few  instances  in  Alaskan  pic  to  graphs,  but  of 
frequent  occurrence  among  the  Oheyennes,  and  other  neighboring  tribes, 
in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Sill,  Indian  Territory,  and  other  posts  farther 
north. 

The  entire  record  relates  to  a  ceremonial  dance,  held  on  account  of  a 
sick  person,  and  the  indication  of  the  village  houses  and  sledges  of 
visiting  natives. 

The  narrator  is  indicated  at  No.  1,  his  arms  outstretched  to  embrace 
the  surrounding  area  as  the  place  where  he  was,  and  which,  perhaps, 


916  REPORT   OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

is  liis  residence  also.  Nos.  2,  6,  and  8  denote  scaffolds  for  food,  the 
accumulated  material  being  apparent  upon  the  transverse  poles.  At  the 
residence  at  No.  3  smoke  is  emerging  from  the  smoke  hole  in  the  roof, 
and  someone  is  also  upon  the  roof  of  the  entrance  reaching  outward 
toward  what  may  have  been  intended  for  a  scaffold,  but  which,  because 
of  erosion,  had  become  partly  obliterated,  as  have  also  portions  of  the 
human  beings  beneath.  The  next  house,  No.  4,  also  has  a  column  of 
smoke  rising  from  the  smoke  hole,  while  several  vertical  lines  before 
the  entrance  indicate  the  original  portrayal  of  the  necessary  storehouse 
or  food  scaffold.  No.  5  is  another  permanent  habitation,  while  at  No. 
7,  over  the  roof  of  the  entrance  to  the  house,  is  the  outline  of  a  man,  hor 
izontal  and  with  the  hand  thrown  downward  as  if  making  a  common 
gesture  sign  for  lying  down,  or  to  lie  there,  having  reference  perhaps  to 
the  recumbent  position  of  the  occupant,  who  may  be  sick  and  for  whose 
benefit  the  ceremonies  are  in  operation.  A  heavy  column  of  smoke  is 
issuing  from  the  chimney. 

Upon  the  house  No.  0  are  two  persons  apparently  interested  in 
something  or  someone  at  No.  7,  no  doubt  referring  to  the  sick  man. 
At  No.  10  is  designated  the  entrance  to  the  house  No.  9,  and  upon  the 
roof  are  four  persons;  the  one  at  the  right  holding  in  one  hand  tam 
bourine  drum,  while  with  the  other  hand  he  is  beating  it,  the  sound 
therefrom  passing  forward  over  the  group  of  dancers  before  the  house. 
In  the  rear  of  the  drummer  are  three  assistant  musicians,  and  from  the 
absence  of  drums  or  rattles  they  appear  to  be  singers,  the  belief  being 
furthermore  strengthened  from  the  fact  that  each  of  the  three  has  an 
arm  or  hand  elevated ;  the  one  at  the  right  appearing  to  place  his 
hand  before  his  mouth  to  denote  in  gesture  language  speech,  voice, 
song,  a  common  portrayal  in  various  Indian  pictographs,  as  well  as 
Maya,  Mexican,  Egyptian,  and  Hittite  hieroglyphs  and  objective  repre 
sentations  of  voice  in  various  forms.  The  remaining  figures  also  appear 
to  have  their  hands  directed  upward  before  the  face,  an  approach  in 
gesture  to  the  preceding.  The  sign  for  sing,  singing,  is  made  by  hold 
ing  the  palm  upward  and  passing  the  hand  upward  and  forward  from 
the  mouth,  though  beginning  before  the  neck  and  passing  at  from  6  to 
10  inches  before  the  mouth. 

The  narrow  vertical  line  with  streamers  of  cloth  or  calico  attached, 
and  surmounted  by  the  wooden  effigy  of  a  bird,  is  a  votive  offering  or 
u  shaman  stick'7  erected  upon  the  roof  of  the  house  No.  9  in  commemo 
ration  of  one  of  the  household. 

The  character  at  No.  12  is  another  shaman,  armed  with  a  drum,  which 
he  holds  in  one  hand  and  with  the  other  strikes  the  head  with  a  drum 
stick,  which  is  seen  crossing  the  surface  in  the  endeavor  to  drive  away 
one  of  the  evil  spirits  or  demons  hovering  about  in  the  air  after  being 
expelled  by  exorcism  from  the  body  of  the  sick  man. 

The  group  embracing  nine  figures,  No.  13,  denotes  the  assistant 
shamans  driving  about  and  punishing  the  evil  spirits — the  same  one 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  917 

being  here  reproduced  with  uplifted  hands  and  once  as  a  small  being — 
they  being  masked  and  decorated  with  fringed  sleeves  and  garments 
and  armed  with  weapons  possessing  mysterious  power  in  exorcism. 
The  demon  appears  in  nearly  each  instance  to  supplicate  the  shaman 
not  to  strike  with  the  uplifted  rod,  the  gesture  sign  for  supplication 
being  accurately  portrayed,  both  hands  being  elevated  toward  the  one 
addressed,  not  only  surpassing  in  pictorial  execution  the  same  idea  as 
found  among  other  American  aborigines,  but  being  exactly  similar  to 
the  hieroglyph,  for  the  same  idea,  of  the  Egyptians. 

Nos.  14,  15,  and  16  are  sledges,  drawn  up  near  to  the  place  of  the 
dance.  The  representations  of  the  sledges  are  more  nearly  like  some 
figures  of  the  baidarka  shown  elsewhere,  because  of  the  almost  vertical 
bow  and  the  dark  line  along  the  top,  consisting  of  two  horizontal  lines 
within  which  are  short  vertical  strokes,  the  latter  denoting  bales  of 
peltries  and  furs  received  from  other  natives  for  barter.  The  man  at 
the  fore  part  of  the  sledge  in  No.  14  is  smoking  a  pipe,  while  the  figures 
on  top  of  both  No.  14  and  15  appear  to  enjoy  the  scene,  their  arms 
apparently  raised  as  if  in  acclamation.  At  No.  16  the  dog  is  assisted 
in  pulling  the  sledge  by  the  man,  who  is  dragging  at  a  cord,  the  load 
being  evidently  a  heavy  one,  as  the  man  at  the  side  of  the  sledge  is 
also  tugging  at  it  to  assist  in  propulsion. 

The  scene  presented  in  plate  73,  fig.  1,  is  of  interest,  because  the 
ceremonial  dance  is  performed  in  the  middle  of  the  village,  as  indicated 
by  the  peculiar  distribution  of  the  habitations  and  the  sledges  of  the 
visitors. 

The  characters  in  Nos.  1,  2,  and  3  denote  permanent  or  winter  habi 
tations,  upon  which  are  observed  some  of  the  witnesses  to  the  dance. 
No.  4  is  a  high  pole  erected  between  the  habitations,  and  upon  it  is  an 
effigy  of  an  animal,  while  the  pole  itself  is  decorated  with  streamers  of 
calico  or  cloth,  flannel,  etc.  No.  5  is  a  slender  stick,  upon  the  top  of 
which  is  placed  the  wooden  effigy  of  a  bird,  the  whole  being  designated 
a  "  shaman  stick"  or  votive  offering,  being  a  token  or  memorial  erected 
by  a  relative  or  friend  to  one  deceased.  The  memorial  is  intended  also 
as  a  "luck  stick,"  i.  e.,  a  public  testimonial  of  wishing  luck  to  the 
spirit  of  the  dead. 

Near  the  habitation  No.  2  is  an  oblong  figure  upon  stilts,  denoting  a 
scaffold  upon  which  food  is  stored.  These  are  so  erected  as  to  be 
beyond  the  reach  of  dogs  and  noxious  or  predatory  animals. 

Nos.  6  to  12  are  sledges  belonging  to  a  party  of  fur  traders  who 
chanced  to  stop  at  the  village.  At  Nos.  6  and  12  the  dogs  have 
already  been  unhitched  and  the  owners  are  seated  at  the  front,  smok 
ing  their  pipes.  Bales  of  goods  are  indicated  by  the  solid  outline  of 
oblong  figures  raised  upon  short  lines  above  the  sledges  themselves. 

The  human  figures  represented  by  Nos.  13  to  22  are  the  shaman 
and  his  assistants.  These  are  duplicate  characters  of  the  latter  por 
trayed  in  driving  away  evil  spirits,  Nos.  25  .to  20,  which  are  indicated 


918  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

as  human  forms,  curved,  with  the  feet  and  legs  turned  upward  and  the 
arms  thrown  forward,  as  if  making  violent  efforts  at  jumping.  These 
spirits  are  driven  around  from  one  point  to  another,  some  shamans 
driving  and  striking  them  to  compel  their  departure,  while  others  are 
assisting  in  exorcism  by  using  the  magic  rattles,  seen  as  short  T-shaped 
figures  in  the  hands  of  some  of  the  assistants. 

All  of  this  ceremony  is  for  the  purpose  of  exorcism,  the  expulsion  of  the 
demons  of  disease  from  the  body  of  a  sick  man,  indicated  as  wrapped 
up  at  No.  24,  where  he  is  supposed  to  be  lying  upon  the  ground. 

The  entire  grouping  of  the  figures  is,  necessarily,  placed  along  two 
base  lines,  each  line  running  parallel  with  the  border  of  the  ivory  bow 
upon  which  the  record  is  portrayed.  The  heads  of  the  different  indi 
viduals,  as  well  as  the  housetops  and  the  tops  of  the  sledges,  are  all 
directed  inward  toward  the  middle,  this  being  the  limit  of  possibility 
of  artistic  execution  in  attempting  a  bird's  eye  view  of  the  whole  vil 
lage  and  its  dancing  ground  —  the  latter  being  about  the  high  decorated 
pole,  at  No.  4,  but  for  lack  of  space  the  ceremonial  is  transferred  to 
where  it  is  drawn  —  the  intention  being  to  represent  the  dancers  as  if 
in  a  circle,  their  movements  being  directed  around  the  pole  bearing  the 
animal  figure. 


1  2  3  456789  10  11 

Fig.  141. 

SHAMANISTIC  CEEEMONIAL. 

Two  distinct  styles  of  engraving  occur  in  the  pictograph  represented 
in  fig.  141,  although  they  are  probably  by  the  same  artist.  The  habi 
tations  shown  in  Nos.  1  and  3  arc  in  delicately  engraved  lines  quite 
foreign  in  execution  to  the  crudely  carved  figures  in  Nos.  4  to  11.  The 
houses  are  in  profile,  and  both  indicate  the  place  of  entrance  at  the 
right  side,  beneath  the  delicate  vertical  rod  projecting  above.  Human 
figures  are  seen  upon  the  roofs,  those  upon  No.  .3  appearing  to  be  occu 
pied  in  an  animated  conversation,  as  suggested  by  the  attitude  of  the 
arms. 

The  vertical  poles,  connected  by  a  crosspiece,  indicated  in  No.  2,  rep 
resent  a  rack  Avhere  fish  and  the  meat  of  game  are  suspended  for  dry 
ing.  The  figure  of  a  man  engaged  in  some  occupation  connected  with 
the  rack  is  observed  between  the  vertical  poles. 

The  human  figures  indicated  in  Nos.  4  to  0  are  engaged  in  a  dance, 
the  attitudes  of  all  but  two  being  well  executed  in  the  representation  of 
the  peculiar  manner  of  leaning  forward  the  body,  common  to  nearly  all 
aboriginal  tribes  when  participating  in  such  pastimes.  In  Nos.  G  and 
8  are  seen  peculiar  tail-like  appendages,  representing  merely  ornamental 
streamers  often  tied  to  the  belt  at  the  spiral  portion  to  represent  the 
tails  of  animals  which  these  natives  sometimes  imitate,  both  in  dress 
and  actions. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  919 

The  two  mammalian  figures  at  the  extreme  right — Nos.  10  and  11 — 
are  dogs,  facing  one  another,  an  attitude  assumed  by  strangers,  as 
these  had  probably  accompanied  their  masters  to  the  place  of  the 
ceremony  portrayed. 

Plate  73,  fig.  4  represents  a  ceremonial  dance.  The  characters  in 
Nos.  1  and  4,  representing  three  pairs  of  human  forms,  are  dancers, 
who  are  aiding  the  shaman  at  No.  2,  who  is  shown  with  his  hands 
uplifted  and  throwing  them  circularly  about  as  if  u  stirring  up  a 
breeze,"  which  he  is  in  fact  doing,  in  so  far  as  it  pertains  to  the  spirits 
of  the  air,  whose  aid  he  is  invoking.  All  this  is  being  done  because 
the  seated  figure  at  the  left  end  of  the  habitation,  No.  3,  is  requesting 
the  shaman's  assistance.  Four  other  human  figures  are  indicated  about 
the  same  habitation,  though  partly  worn  off,  and  at  the  right-hand 
upper  corner  is  a  shaman  stick  or  votive  offering,  placed  there  to  the 
memory  of  one  of  the  owner's  family.  The  stick  appears  to  be  sur 
mounted  by  an  effigy  of  a  bird,  this  being  the  common  practice.  Nos. 
5  and  G  appear  to  be  dancers,  each  armed  with  rattles,  small  round 
frames  of  wood,  having  both  flat  sides  covered  with  seal  gut  or  buck 
skin,  being  used  by  shaineii  or  their  assistants.  No.  7  denotes  another 
habitation,  at  the  left  end  of  which  is  a  votive  offering  and  at  the 
other  a  human  figure,  who,  with  his  left  hand,  reaches  down  to  another, 
No.  8,  who  appears  in  the  act  of  winking  aid  from  spirits  in  the  air. 

No.  9  is  undetermined,  but  Nos.  10,  11,  and  12  are  reindeer,  the  first 
and  last  having  attached  to  them  the  spirit  or  guardian  of  the  shaman, 
who  has  compelled  the  animals  to  come  within  reach  of  the  hunter's 
gun,  though  only  one  of  the  three,  No.  12,  having  been  secured. 

No.  13  represents  the  shaman  in  another  instance  when  his  services 
were  requested  5  this  time  by  a  native  shown  in  No.  14,  at  the  left-hand 
end  and  seated  or  leaning  against  the  dwelling.  Some  votive  offerings 
are  also  perceived  upon  the  roof,  while  to  the  right,  No.  15,  are  a  num 
ber  of  natives  indulging  in  a  dance,  probably  a  ceremonial  one,  as  the 
record  is  one  pertaining  to  sharaanistic  matters  entirely. 

The  ivory  bag  handle  shown  on  plate  32,  fig.  7,  is  an  excellent  piece 
of  workmanship,  and  presents  evidence  of  artistic  expression  not  met 
with  in  any  other  specimens. 

The  central  disk  presents  the  relief  carving  of  a  human  face,  the  nose 
being  clearly  indicated  as  different  from  that  drawn  or  engraved  upon 
the  seal's  face,  while  below  the  mouth  are  the  vertical  lines  to  denote 
the  tattooing  practiced  by  the  women.  The  expression  of  the  face  is 
rather  firm  and  represents  a  frown.  The  ring  surrounding  the  face 
is  the  fur  hood,  the  fur  itself  being  indicated  by  the  short  radiating 
lines  extending  therefrom. 

The  opposite  side  of  the  specimen  is  a  reproduction  of  the  obverse, 
witli  the  exception,  however,  that  the  face  is  that  of  a  man,  the  mouth 
being  portrayed  by  having  the  corners  turned  upward  to  denote  a 
smile,  while  below  either  corner  is  a  circular  spot  to  indicate  the 
labrets.  The  furred  hood  is  also  shown. 


920 


REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 


Upon  either  side  of  the  face  are  seals,  ornamented  with  rayed  cir 
cles,  while  along  the  lower  edge  are  two  parallel  lines  bearing  interior 
decorations  of  simple  cross  lines. 

The  upper  edge  has  a  simple  longitudinal  crease,  while  beneath  this 
line  is  furthermore  ornamented  by  short  lateral  ones. 

INDIVIDUAL    SHAMANISM. 

The  illustration  presented  in  fig.  142  is  perhaps  unique,  the  original 
having  been  obtained  from  a  native  well  versed  in  shamanism,  and  in 
fact  professed  to  be  one. 

Descriptions  of  shamans'  ceremonials  in  medicine  lodges,  especially 
in  the  initiation  of  candidates,  were  published  by  the  present  writer  in 
the  Seventh  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  and  relate 

to  the  Ojibwa  Hide' wi win  or 
Grand  Medicine  Society,  a  cult 
society  known  to  the  Catholic 
Fathers  who  first  came  to  Can 
ada,  but  which,  until  the  above 
r*eport  was  published,  had 
never  been  thoroughly  under 
stood.  The  complete  exposi 
tion  of  the  mythology  and 
ritual  thereto  was  given  by  the 
present  writer;  and  a  similar 
contribution  to  science  has 
been  recently  published  in  the 
Fourteenth  Annual  Report  of 
the  same  Bureau,  and  embraces 
the  exposition  of  the  ceremoni 
als  of  the  several  cult  societies 
of  the  Menomini  Indians,  the 
report  being  a  part  only  of  the 
memoir  which  embraces  a  com 
plete  history  of  that  tribe,  first 
known  through  their  discovery 
by  Nicollet,  in  1034. 
The  illustration  given  above,  representing  an  Eskimo  shaman  heal 
ing  a  sick  man,  with  the  explanation  given  by  the  recorder  thereof,  is 
of  peculiar  value  and  interest. .  The  Iuuu.it  ceremonial  structures  are 
partly  underground,  the  roof  being  covered  with  turf  and  other 
materials,  and  the  entrance  thereto  being  by  a  partly  underground  or 
possibly  tunnel-like  passage-way. 

In  the  figure,  a  represents  the  entrance  to  the  chamber,  or  lodge,  as 
a  habitation  of  natives  or  Indians  is  often  designated;  &,  the  fireplace; 
c,  a  vertical  piece  of  wood  upon  which  is  placed  a  cross  piece,  upon 
each  end  of  which  is  a  lamp  made  of  steatite  and  fed  with  fat;  d,  the 


Fig.  142- 

S  HAM  AN  CUEING  A  SICK  MAN  IN  THE  CEREMONIAL 
STRUCTURE. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  921 

musicians  upon  raised  seats  drumming  upon  tambourine  drums,  and 
producing  music  to  the  movements  of  the  shaman  during  his  incanta 
tions  in  exorcising  the  demon,  or  evil  spirit,  supposed  to  have  posses 
sion  of  the  patient;  e,  visitors  and  friends  seated  around  the  interior  of 
the  chamber  to  witness  the  ceremony; /,  the  shaman  represented  in 
making  his  incantations  preparatory  to  exorcising  from  the  body  of  the 
patient  the  demon  to  whose  presence  the  disease  is  attributed;  #,  the 
patient  seated  upon  the  floor  of  the  chamber — the  legs  being  folded 
under  his  body  and  scarcely  visible  to  the  beholder,  they  are  omitted 
in  the  pictograph.  li  represents  the  shaman  in  another  stage  of  the 
ceremonies,  driving  out  the  demon,  i  is  another  figure  of  the  patient — 
from  his  head  is  seen  to  issue  a  line  connecting  it  with  j.  j  is  the 
demon,  fc  is  the  shaman  in  the  act  of  driving  the  demon  out  of  the 
lodge  or  chamber — in  his  hands  are  sacred  objects,  his  personal  fetish, 
in  which  his  power  lies;  ?,  the  flying  demon  endeavoring  to  escape 
through  the  doorway,  m  and  n  are  assistants  to  the  shaman,  stationed 
at  the  entrance  to  strike  and  hasten  the  departure  of  the  demon. 

Plate  64,  fig.  1,  represents  a  drill  bow  from  the  north  of  Korton  Sound. 
Contrary  to  the  usual  custom,  this  specimen  is  curved  edgewise,  so  that 
upon  the  back  appears  one  continuous  record,  while  upon  the  front  side 
there  are  two,  the  front  being  beveled  from  the  central  line.  Quite  a 
number  of  interesting  figures  appear  upon  this  record,  the  results  in 
hunting  having  apparently  been  brought  about  by  the  kind  offices  of 
a  shaman,  to  whom  application  has  been  made  for  success  by  the 
recorder  or  owner.  In  the  small  space  at  the  extreme  left  is  the  outline 
of  a  human  figure,  the  arms  bent  and  the  hands  touching  the  sides, 
two  prominent  ears,  and  three  lines  directed  upward  from  the  head. 
This  represents  the  shaman  whose  influence  had  been  obtained.  Imme 
diately  below  this  human  figure  is  an  oblong  outline  attached  to  a 
delicate  groove  or  line  extending  forward  to  a  whale.  This  represents 
the  float  attached  to  the  harpoon  line.  The  next  character  represents 
a  seal  facing  the  right,  its  vis-a-vis  being  a  native  crawling  along  with  a 
spear  in  his  hand,  evidently  intending  to  capture  it.  The  short  etchings 
projecting  from  the  base  line  and  extending  to  the  right  to  a  distance  of 
about  three  inches,  represent  a  marsh.  Five  seals  are  shown  about  the 
middle  of  this  marsh,  as  if  swimming  in  the  water  with  only  the  head 
and  top  of  the  body  projecting.  Beyond  these  animals,  and  at  the  end 
of  the  marsh,  is  the  outline  of  a  boat.  Some  distance  to  the  right  is  a 
figure  very  much  resembling  a  crouching  bear.  This  again  is  a  repro 
duction  of  the  figure  of  the  shaman  whose  kindly  offices  had  been 
secured  upon  another  occasion.  He  seems  to  be  throwing  forward  a 
magic  bullet  which,  used  by  the  hunter  in  the  kaiak  above  him,  enabled 
the  hunter  to  secure  the  seal  he  wanted,  as  shown  by  the  bullet  mark 
above  the  animal  a  short  distance  in  front  of  the  kaiak.  Upon  the 
same  face  of  the  bow  will  be  observed  a  number  of  characters  as  if 
suspended  from  the  upper  line  thereof.  By  turning  the  bow  about,  the 


922  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

pictures  will  be  brought  iuto  proper  position.  Beginning  at  the  left, 
are  two  elongated  figures,  each  upon  stilts,  which  represent  the  scaf 
folds  upon  which  these  boats  are  placed  for  drying.  Three  winter  habi 
tations  are  next  in  order,  about  which  are  a  number  of  human  beings 
in  various  attitudes.  Smoke  issues  from  the  top  of  the  house,  and  the 
vertical  rods  projecting  from  the  first  and  second  indicate  votive  offer 
ings.  To  the  right  of  the  third  house  are  three  human  beings  standing 
about  an  umiak,  which  is  drawn  foreshortened,  and  a  line  extending  to 
the  right  to  an  oblong  figure,  which  is  a  seal  which  they  have  captured. 
There  are  outlines  of  five  natives  with  arms  extended,  one  with  a  spear, 
but  the  import  of  these  characters  is  not  intelligible.  The  next  figure, 
however,  is  shown  in  the  act  of  dragging  a  seal,  while  beyond  it  is 
another  seal,  toward  which  a  native  is  throwing  his  spear.  Beyond 
the  latter  is  shown  the  body  of  another  seal,  toward  which  a  hunter  is 
crawling  on  all  fours,  and  in  an  opposite  direction  from  him  is  his  com 
panion  engaged  in  like  pursuit  of  another  seal,  shown  to  the  right.  As 
the  bow  is  shown  in  the  illustration,  with  the  figure  of  a  shaman  at  the 
right,  it  will  be  observed  that  along  the  upper  face  are  a  number  of 
illustrations  which  represent  various  avocations.  At  the  extreme  right 
is  the  body  of  a  reindeer  lying  upon  the  ground,  the  horns  at  the  right 
projecting  upward,  and  upon  the  body  of  the  animal,  as  well  as  behind 
it,  are  birds  feeding  upon  it.  Following  this  toward  the  right  are  four 
other  animals  of  like  species,  with  the  outlines  of  a  fifth,  which  can  not 
be  clearly  determined.  Following  the  base  line  for  some  distance,  we 
come  to  another  deer  in  the  act  of  browsing.  A  little  beyond  the 
middle,  toward  the  right,  are  three  natives,  the  first  going  toward  the 
right  with  his  harpoon  directed  forward,  the  second  with  a  line  extend 
ing  to  the  right  to  some  object  upon  the  ground,  which  the  third  appears 
to  be  stabbing  with  his  spear,  the  weapon  being  uplifted.  This  may 
represent  the  killing  of  a  seal.  Another  native  is  seen  approaching 
this  group  of  three,  beyond  which  is  the  outline  of  a  large  mammal, 
evidently  intended  to  represent  a  deer. 

By  again  turning  the  bow  upside  down,  so  that  the  upper  line  becomes 
the  base  line,  another  record  presents  itself.  The  group  of  figures  at 
the  extreme  left  denotes  two  natives  occupied  in  boiling  something,  as 
their  hands  are  attached  to  short  lines  extending  into  the  kettles,  which 
arc  placed  against  the  fire  from  which  the  smoke  is  rising.  It  is  very 
likely  that  they  are  cooking  the  meat  of  the  reindeer,  as  the  hide  of 
the  animal  is  suspended  from  the  horizontal  drying  pole  or  scaffold  at 
the  right,  beneath  which  another  native  is  occupied  in  hanging  up  the 
meat.  The  large,  irregularly  drawn  body  to  the  right  of  this  scaffold 
appears  to  denote  a  habitation.  Two  human  beings  are  engaged 
between  this  and  a  triangular  body  which  may  denote  a  summer  habi 
tation,  the  latter  being  usually  made  of  bark,  canvas,  or  boards.  To 
the  right  of  the  triangular  building  is  a  human  being,  beside  him  being 
another  scaffold  or  drying  pole  from  which  is  suspended  the  hide  of  a 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS. 


923 


Fig. 143. 

SHAMAN  MAKING  INCANTATIONS;    b, 
INVOKING   AID. 


small  mammal.  Beyond  the  middle  of  the  bow,  toward  the  right,  is  a  fig 
ure  of  n  kaiak  with  a  native  within  it  paddling  forward  toward  a  larger 
umiak  under  sail.  In  front  of  this  stands  a  man  with  a  gun  uplifted, 
as  if  shooting  toward  the  deer  whose  feet  are  attached  to  the  upper 
line  or  base  line  of  the  preceding  record.  Beyond  this  is  the  outline  of 
another  umiak  under  sail,  and  occupied  by 
three  hunters. 

In  fig.  143,  No.  ft,  is  represented  a  native 
who  desired  the  services  of  a  shaman,  and, 
upon  visiting  one,  declared  his  needs  and 
probably  paid  the  fee  usually  required. 

The  shaman,  making  his  usual  ceremonies 
of  incantation  to  invoke  his  guardian  spirit, 
or  tutelary  daimon,  is  shown  with  that 
creature  about  to  depart  on  the  mission 
desired  by  the  shaman. 

The  spirit  is  a  bird,  and,  as  all  flying 

creatures  are  deemed  lucky,  it  is  here  represented  in  unusually  large 
size,  to  increase  the  importance  of  the  performer. 

Another  illustration  o^  making  incantation  is  shown  in  fig.  143Z>?  the 
shaman  expressing  his  ability  to  cause  fish  to  come  to  the  hunter  by 
whom  the  proper  fee  is  paid.  The  drawing  is  taken  from  an  Alaskan 
shaman's  drum,  but  appears  to  be  foreign  to  pure  Eskimo  dra'wing, 
having  probably  originally  come  from  the  Thlinkit,  or  neighboring 
tribes  of  Athabaskan  stock. 

A  remarkably  interesting  engraving  is  reproduced  in  fig.  144.  The 
profession  of  the  Eskimo  shaman  is  very  like  that  of  his  confrere  of  the 
Menomini  and  Ojibwa  Indians,  of  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota,  respec 
tively.  He  has  the  power  to  invoke  his  personal  guardian  or  tutelary 
daimon  in  aiding  him  to  secure  the  services  of  other  deities  or  spirits 
to  perform  certain  acts  of  exorcism,  or  incantation  and  invocation,  so 
that  a  spirit  messenger  may  be  sent  on  almost  any  mission  for  informa 
tion  that  may  be  desired ;  or  the  guardian  spirit  or  daimon  may  bring 
about  some  events,  or  control  the  actions  of  both  men  and  animals,  as 

may  be  desired. 

In  the  illustration,  fig. 
144,  is  shown  first,  at  No. 
1,  an  assistant,  who  aids 
the  performer,  No.  2,  by 
using  the  magic  or 
"medicine  drum."  No 

doubt  a  hunter  has  called,  and  for  a  certain  consideration,  or  promise 
of  some  parts  of  the  game  secured,  has  solicited  the  shaman  for  "  hunt 
ing  medicine,"  in  order  that  he  may  secure  a  whale. 

The  two  men,  the  shaman  and  his  assistant,  are  both  within  the 
shaman's  lodge,  the  inclosure  or  habitation  being  indicated  by  the 


3  4 

Fig.  144. 

8HAMANISTIC  CEREMONY. 


924  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

circular  line  which  surrounds  them  and  is  planted  upon  the  ground 
or  base  line.  The  mystic  influence  has  been  made  to  secure  a  whale, 
No.  4,  which  has  been  compelled  by  the  shaman's  alleged  supernatural 
power,  in  the  guise  of  an  anthropoid  deity,  to  swim  to  the  locality 
where  the  ceremonies  are  performed,  in  order  that  the  hunter  may  be 
enabled  to  reach  him.  The  short  serrated  marking  between  the  whale's 
head  and  the  figure  of  the  spirit  denotes  the  spray  spouted  from  the 
whale. 

The  line  connecting  the  spirit  and  the  shaman's  hand  is  the  indica 
tion  of  the  magic  influence  possessed  by  the  latter  over  the  spirit 
messenger. 

Other  illustrations  of  shamauistic  power  are  given,  especially  exam 
ples  of  exorcism  of  demons  possessing  the  sick  and  to  whom  illness  is 
attributed. 

The  illustration  in  fig.  145  is  reproduced  from  a  walrus-ivory  drill 
bow  in  the  museum  of  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company,  of  San  Fran 
cisco,  California.  The  interpretation  given  to  the  present  writer  is  as 
follows : 

Two  sick  men  were  brought  to  the  shaman  for  treatment.  The 
shaman's  summer  habitations  are  represented  in  Nos.  1  and  2,  the 


8  765  4 

Fig. 145. 
SHAMAN  EXORCISING  DEMON. 

presence  of  trees  denoting  that  there  was  a  grove  close  by.  No.  3  is  the 
shaman,  who  is  represented  in  the  act  of  holding  one  of  his  u  demons" 
or  personal  deities,  with  whose  aid  he  pretends  to  expel  malignant 
spirits  or  demons  from  the  body  of  the  sick  man.  No.  4  is  the  demon 
under  control  of  the  shaman.  No.  5  represents  the  same  shaman  in  the 
act  of  exorcising  the  demon  in  the  patient.  Nos.  6  and  7  are  the  sick 
men  who  are  under  treatment  and  from  whom  the  "evil  beings"  have 
been  expelled.  The  two  "evil  beings"  or  demons  are  shown  in  No. 
8,  represented  in  violent  movement  in  their  endeavrr  to  escape  the 
powerful  influence  of  the  shaman. 

The  engraving  presented  in  plate  73,  fig.  3,  is  without  doubt  one  of 
the  cleverest  artistic  products  thus  far  received  from  Alaska  and 
known  to  be  the  work  of  a  native.  The  entire  grouping  of  the  herd  of 
reindeer,  some  of  the  animals  walking  leisurely  along  while  others  stop 
to  browse,  and  while  the  foremost  manifest  curiosity  and  alarm,  indi 
cates  that  the  artist  was  not  only  a  close  observer  of  the  habits  of  the 
animal,  but  had  an  unusually  keen  acquaintance  with  the  anatomical 
structure  and  the  attitudes  assumed  under  different  circumstances  so 
as  to  express  the  emotions. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  925 

The  hunters,  Nos.  18  and  19,  had  gone  to  a  shaman  to  seek  his  aid  in 
securing  luck  for  game,  and  the  shaman  (who  is  represented  by  the 
upper  part  of  the  body  only,  hands  outstretched,  above  the  two  rein 
deer,  Nos.  11  and  12)  being  favorably  disposed,  is  driving  the  game 
in  the  way  of  the  hunters,  his  assistants,  at  Nos.  1,  2,  and  5,  also  driv 
ing  animals  by  being  portrayed  as  if  riding  upon  their  backs. 

No.  4  represents  a  fawn,  the  open  mouth  suggesting  its  crying  to  its 
parents,  while  the  upper  figure  at  No.  3  and  the  legless  one  at  the 
space  between  Nos.  7  and  8  are  represented  as  beyond  the  first  file  of 
animals — an  attempt  at  perspective,  no  doubt. 

The  attitudes  of  Nos.  12  and  1G  are  a  good  attempt  at  foreshorten 
ing,  rather  a  difficult  undertaking  for  a  native  barbarian. 

A  doe  is  also  shown  above  the  animal  at  No.  16,  walking  parallel 
with  the  herd.  No.  17,  but  her  legs  are  supposed  to  be  invisible  because 
of  her  being  beyond  those  in  the  foreground. 

The  herd  at  No.  17  is  portrayed  as  an  elongated  body  with  numerous 
heads  and  two  legs  more  than  necessary  for  the  eight  animals  indicated. 
In  nearly  all  instances  the  horns  are  carefully  drawn  so  as  to  show  the 
peculiar  curve  toward  the  front  as  well  as  the  so-called  snow  shovels — 
the  horns  projecting  forward  and  downward  over  the  nose,  and  by 
means  of  which  the  animals  cut  through  the  snow  in  search  of  lichens 
and  other  food. 

Nos.  18  and  19  are  the  hunters  with  bow  and  arrow,  the  attitudes 
assumed  in  shooting  being  well  represented.  No.  20  is  the  hut. 

In  the  accompanying  illustrations,  plate  74,  are  three  views  selected 
from  a  drill  bow,  in  the  museum  of  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company 
of  San  Francisco,  California.  The  rod  upon  which  the  characters  occur 
is  here  presented  in  three  sections,  A,  B,  and  C.  In  A  is  found  the 
beginning  of  the  narrative  of  one  who  applied  to  a  shaman  for  success 
in  hunting;  which  extends  only  one-half  of  the  length  of  the  rod. 
The  course  of  the  inscription  is  then  continued  on  the  adjacent  side  of 
the  rod  at  the  middle,  and  reading  in  both  directions  (sections  B  and  C), 
toward  the  two  files  of  approaching  animals.  Band  C  occupies  the 
whole  of  one  side. 

The  following  is  the  explanation  of  the  characters: 

A.  No.  1  represents  a  baidarka,  or  skin  boat,  resting  on  poles;  this 
is  done  in  order  that  the  vessel  may  dry.  No.  2  is  one  of  the  habita 
tions  of  the  village,  as  are  also  those  in  No.  4,  and  the  storehouses  in 
Nos.  5  and  7.  No.  3  denotes  a  tree  located  in  the  village.  No.  6  is  a 
tree,  between  the  branches  of  which  and  the  roofs  of  the  houses  are 
placed  poles  for  drying  food — fish,  etc.  The  characters  from  No.  1  to 
No.  7  signify  the  settlement,  the  home  of  the  person  to  whom  the 
history  relates.  No.  8  is  the  hunter  sitting  on  the  ground  asking  for 
aid  and  making  the  gesture  for  supplication,  asking  by  elevating  both 
hands  toward  the  sky,  or  toward  the  one  from  whom  aid  is  solicited. 
No.  9  is  the  shaman  to  whom  application  is  made  by  the  hunter  desiring 


926  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

success  in  the  chase.  The  shamau  has  finished  his  incantations,  and 
while  still  retaining  his  left  arm  in  the  position  for  that  ceremony  holds 
the  right  toward  the  hunter,  giving  him  the  success  requested.  No.  10 
is  the  shaman's  winter  lodge,  while  Nos.  11  and  13  are  trees  surrounding 
it,  as  well  as  the  summer  habitation  noted  at  No.  12. 

In  the  illustration,  B  is  a  record  pertaining  to  the  hunter's  previous 
application  to  another  shaman  with  whom  no  satisfactory  arrangement 
could  be  made.  Consequently,  the  shaman  caused  the  game  to  nee  and 
get  out  of  the  hunter's  way.  The  detailed  description  is  as  follows: 

B.  No.  14  is  a  tree  standing  beside  the  habitation  No.  15,  upon  which 
the  shaman  is  observed  standing  and  driving  back  the  game  visible 
over  the  remainder  of  the  seene.  No.  10  is  a  deer,  the  nearest  to  and 
the  first  to  feel  the  shaman's  order  to  return  to  a  safe  place.  No.  17 
are  the  horns  of  a  deer  protruding  from  the  surface  of  the  river  which 
the  animal  is  swimming.  No.  18  is  a  fawn,  recognizable  also  by  the 
unusually  long  legs  as  compared  to  the  size  of  the  body. 

In  the  last  panel,  0,  is  recorded  the  continuation  of  the  story  begun 
by  the  recorder  or  hunter  in  A,  No.  8. 

No.  19  represents  a  tree  located  hear  the  hunter's  habitation,  which  is 
shown  in  No.  20.  The  hunter,  designated  in  the  attitude  of  shooting, 
at  No.  21,  after  having  been  granted  the  request  for  success,  placed  the 
effigy  of  his  totem  upon  the  top  of  his  house  as  a  mark  of  gratification 
and  to  insure  greater  luck  in  his  undertaking.  Nos.  22  and  23  embrace 
five  deer  which  were  secured,  the  heads  of  the  animals  being  turned 
toward  the  hunter,  denoting  that  the  game  was  captured.  No.  24  is 
the  shaman's  demon  driving  the  game  toward  the  hunter,  while  in  Nos. 
25,  26,  27,  and  28  are  indicated  other  demons  who  were  invoked  to  aid 
the  chief  tutelary  guardian  of  the  shaman  primarily  invoked  for  this 
service. 

The  figure  in  No.  25  is  a  water  monster  resembling,  in  this  instance, 
a  whale,  but  which  is  represented  by  other  of  the  Innuit  as  a  four  or 
six  legged  serpent.  The  latter  idea  is  common  in  the  mythology  of  the 
Algoukian  tribes;  but  the  existence  of  such  a  being  in  the  mythology 
of  the  Aigalu'jainut  and  Kiate'jainut,  Inuuit  as  well  perhaps  as  among 
others  of  this  nation,  seems  entirely  original  with  them. 
'  Plate  t>4,  fig.  2,  represents  a  bone  wedge  for  splitting  thin  strips  of 
wood  for  fish  traps.  The  specimen  is  from  Nunivak  Island,  and  is 
remarkable  for  the  curious  engraving  which  is  shown  to  exist  upon  the 
upper  surface.  It  will  be  observed  that  the  outline  within  which 
almost  all  the  small  figures  are  drawn  denotes  a  seal,  a  median  line 
extending  from  the  eye  backward  almost  to  the  tail.  Above  and 
beneath  this  are  various  figures  of  guns,  animals,  plants,  and  straight 
lines,  while  upon  the  reverse,  at  a  point  nearly  2  inches  from  the 
tail,  there  projects  from  the  median  line  a  many-branched  tree,  imme 
diately  above  which  and  to  either  side  are  shown  two  reindeer  as  if 
browsing.  These  reindeer  present  a  peculiarity  which  has  been 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  927 

especially  noticeable  in  Zufii  and  Algonkian  pictography  to  represent 
what  is  designated  as  the  life  line.  This  consists  of  a  line  drawn  from 
the  month,  or  very  near  it,  backward  into  the  body,  where  it  terminates 
in  a  line,  or  more  generally  a  triangular  figure,  to  denote  the  head.  It 
is  a  shamanistic  figure,  and  indicates  that  the  shaman  who  possessed 
it  had  influence  over  the  life  of  the  animal  so  portrayed.  This  subject 
has  been  more  clearly  described  in  connection  with  the  shamanistic 
ceremonies  of  the  Ojibwa  Indians  in  the  en 
graving  of  the  Mide/wiwin  or  Grand  Medicine 
Society  of  the  Ojibwa,  published  in  the  Four 
teenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Eth 
nology. 


toi 


VOTIVE    OFFERINGS   AND   MORTUARY.  Fig  UQ 

VOTIVE  OFFERING. 

Fig.  146  is  copied  from  a  piece  of  walrus 

ivory  in  the  museum  of  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company,  San  Fran 
cisco,  California,  and  was  interpreted  to  the  present  writer  in  San 
Francisco  in  1882. 

The  left-hand  figure  is  a  votive  offering  or  ''shaman  stick,"  com 
monly  designated  a   medicine   stick,  erected  to  the  memory  of  one 
departed.    The  "bird"   carvings   are    considered   typical   of   "  good 
spirits,"  -and  the  above  was   erected  by  the   remorse- 
X^-A^/         stricken  individual  who  had  killed  the  person  shown. 
/  /  The  headless  body  represents  the  man  who  was  killed. 

In  this  respect  the  Ojibwa  manner  of  portraying  a  man 
"killed"  or  "dead"  is  similar.  Comparison  writh  another 
fT**  Eskimo  drawing,  designating  a  "killed  whale"  by  the 
presence  in  the  back  of  a  harpoon,  maybe  made  herewith 
as  another  conception  of  the  idea  of  "dead"  or  "killed." 
The  right-hand  figure  represents  the  homicide  who 
erected  the  "grave  post"  or  "shaman  stick."  The  arm 
is  thrust  downward  toward  the  earth,  to  represent  the 
gesture  for  Mil.  This  is  common,  likewise,  to  the  gesture 
for  the  same  idea  as  made  by  the  Blackfeet  and  Dakota 
Indians. 

In  fig.  .147  is  reproduced  an  inscription  from  a  grave 
post  commemorating  a  hunter,  as  land  animals  are  shown 
Fig.  147.         to  be  his  chief  pursuit.     The  following  is  the  explanation 
INSCRIPTION  ON     of  the  characters : 

No.  a  is  the  baidarka,  or  boat,  holding  two  persons. 
The  occupants  are  shown,  as  are  also  the  paddles,  which  project  below 
the  horizontal  body  of  the  vessel. 

No.  1}  is  a  rack  for  drying  skins  and  fish.  A  pole  is  added  above  it, 
from  which  are  seen  floating  streamers  of  calico  or  cloth.  No.  c  is  a 
fox.  No.  d  is  a  laud  otter,  while  No.  e  is  the  hunter's  summer  habita- 


028  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

tioDs.  These  are  temporary  dwellings,  and  usually  constructed  at  a 
distance  from  home.  This  also  indicates  the  profession  of  a  skin  hunter, 
as  the  permanent  lodges,  indicated  as  winter  houses,  i.  e.,  with  round 
or  dome-like  roof,  are  located  near  the  seashore,  and  summer  houses 
are  only  needed  when  at  some  distance  from  home,  where  a  considera 
ble  length  of  time  is  spent  in  hunting. 
The  accompanying  illustration,  fig.  148,  is  of  a  similar  nature,  and  is 

9  erected  to  the  memory  of  a  fisherman. 

JLJU"  At  a  is  represented  the  baidarka,  containing  the  owner 

XX  and  a  companion,  probably  denoting  the  friend  of  him  to 

whose  memory  the  tablet  was  erected.    No.  b  denotes 

^£7         the  bow  used  in  shooting  seal  and  other  small  marine 

/  animals. 

No.  c  is  a  seal,  the  chief  object  of  pursuit  of  the  deceased, 
while  d  indicates  a  whale,  an  animal  also  hunted  by  him. 
c  In  the  illustration  in  fig.  149  is  a  drawing  of  a  village 

^^_          and  burial  ground,  drawn  by  a  native  in  imitation  of  the 
original  seen  by  him  among  the  natives  of  the  southern 
rig.  148.         mainland — the  Aigaluxamut.     Carvings  are  generally  on 
INSCRIPTION  FROM    walrus  ivory,  and  often  on  wooden  slats.     In  No.  1  is  a 
representation  of  the  grave  post,  in  position,  bearing  an 
inscription  similar  in  general  character  to  those  in  the  last  two  pre 
ceding  figures. 

The  interpretation  of  the  characters  is  as  follows : 
Nos.  1,  27  3,  and  4  represent  various  styles  of  habitations  composing 
the  village.  No.  5  is  an  elevated  structure  used  for  storing  food.  No. 
G  is  a  box  with  wrappings,  containing  the  corpse  of  a  child.  Scaffold 
burial  is  frequent  among  some  of  the  natives.  The  small  lines,  with  ball 
attached,  are  ornamental  appendages,  consisting  of  strips  of  cloth  or 
skin,  with  charms,  or  sometimes  tassels.  No.  1  is  the  grave  post,  bear 
ing  rude  illustrations  of  the  weapons  and  utensils  used  by  the  deceased 


Fig.  149. 

VILLAGE  AND  BURIAL  GROUNDS. 

during  life.  No.  8  is  a  grave  scaffold,  containing  the  body  of  an  adult. 
Besides  the  ornamental  appendages,  as  in  No.  G  preceding,  there  is  a 
"shaman  stick"  erected  over  the  box  containing  the  corpse,  as  a  mark 
of  good  wishes. 

CONVENTIONALIZING. 

Some  examples  of  decoration  are  presented  herewith,  in  which  there 
often  appears  to  be  solely  an  attempt  at  ornamenting  the  otherwise 
plain  surface  of  ivory.  In  others  there  are  evidences  of  an  advance 
in  the  graphic  representation  of  objects,  in  that  the  originals  are  no 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  929 

longer  accurately  or  entirely  portrayed,  as  through  an  apparent  pro 
cess  of  synecdoche  conventions  are  attained,  which  are  thus  employed 
for  ornamentation,  while  the  original  import  of  the  objects  themselves 
seems  to  have  been  lost  sight  of,  in  so  far  as  their  use  for  historic 
records  are  intended.  Some  miscellaneous  examples  will  suffice  to 
illustrate  these  remarks.1 

Plate  40,  Figs.  5,  G,  and  7  are  interesting  examples  of  conventional 
izing,  and  indicate  a  long  stride  toward  the  employment  of  certain  forms 
for  decorative  purposes  or  for  the  ornamentation  of  spaces  upon  ivory 
rods  or  bows  that  might  not  otherwise  be  apt  to  be  filled  witli  records 
of  exploits  or  ceremonials. 

The  row  of  thirteen  figures  in  plate  40,  fig.  5,  are  the  rear  portions  of 
whales,  the  attitude  sometimes  taken  by  them  in  plunging,  when  the 
tail  emerges  from  the  water  to  an  unusual  distance. 

The  row  of  fourteen  T-shaped  characters,  fig.  6,  are  conventionalized 
forms  to  denote  the  whale,  the  tail  only  being  drawn  to  indicate  the 
entire  animal.  Similar  figures  are  frequently  tattooed  upon  the  body 
to  denote  a  successful  whaler.  Instances  are  referred  to  under  the  cap 
tion  Tattooing,  p.  781.  In  the  row  marked  fig.  7  are  shown  fifteen  swim 
ming  seals,  the  arrangement  being  decorative,  though,  in  accordance 

_  ^   *af    ^T    JC     JT  _  jaf    ^oT    ^f     *f  *T  sffJT    rtf    ^T     snf    s&T  *nf 

Fig. 150. 

FIGURES  OF  SWIMMING-  SEALS. 

with  a  common  custom,  they  may  also  have  been  intended  to  denote 
many  seals  captured,  an  indefinite  number  of  objects  often  signifying 
many,  and  more  than  the  actual  number  indicated,  which  may  be  lim 
ited  for  want  of  room. 

Other  instances  of  conventional  characters  of  well-known  objects  are 
presented  elsewhere. 

The  regularity  with  which  the  seals  are  portrayed  in  fig.  150  is 
another  illustration  of  recording  the  successful  hunt  for  these  animals, 
as  well  as  an  attempt  at  utilizing  these  figures  for  decorative  purposes. 

Other  illustrations  are  given  herewith,  in  which  certain  animal  forms 
have  become  so  conventionalized  as  to  be  almost  unrecognizable,  and 
in  this  shape  these  forms  are  used  secondarily,  and  perhaps  even  pri 
marily,  as  decorations,  the  designs  being  artistic,  as  well  as  of  historic 
interest. 


'Since  this  paper  was  prepared  for  publication  there'  has  been  issued  by  Mr. 
Hjalmar  Stolpe,  of  Stockholm,  an  elegant  folio  publication  on  ornamentation, 
entitled  "  Studier  i  Amerikausk  Oruamentik  E  Bidrag  til  ornamentens  biologi/7 
pp.  42,  figures  137,  plates  XX. 

Eskimo  workmanship  bearing  decorations  occur  on  figures  on  pages  10-21.  A 
boat  paddle,  fig.  45,  showing  both  sides,  bears  a  painted  face  on  one  surface  and  a 
conventionalized  form  upon  the  reverse.  This  specimen  is  from  Port  Clarence,  and 
from  the  fact  of  its  being  in  color  and  on  wood,  is  of  interest. 

Tattooing,  showing  various  conventionalized  forms,  occur  in  figure  47  ["Central 
Lskimo,"]  and  figure  48  ["from  St.  Lawrence  Island"]. 
NAT  MUS  05- 50 


930  REPORT    OF   NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

Plate  22,  fig.  4,  represents  a  drill  bow  from  Point  Barrow.  There  are 
two  horizontal  median  lines,  three-sixteenths  of  an  inch  apart,  extend 
ing  from  end  to  end,  from  which  extend  toward  the  outer  sides  short, 
straight  incisions,  opposite  to  each  of  which  are  the  conventional  whale 
tails.  This  appears  to  be  strictly  decorative,  the  original  import  as  a 
hunting  record  having  apparently  been  lost  sight  of  in  the  attempt  at 
ornamentation . 

Plate  22,  fig.  3,  represents  another  specimen  of  like  character  from 
the  same  locality  as  the  preceding.     It  measures  1C  inches  in  length 
along  the  dorsum.     Apart  from  the  two  perfora 
tions  which  exist  at  either  end  of  the  bow,  there 
are  larger  holes  made  for  the  insertion  of  turquoise 
or  blue  glass  beads.     On  the  under  surface  are 
represented  skins  of  a  number  of  animals.    The 
ten  narrow  hides  at  the  left  are  otter  skins.     The 
succeeding  five  oblong  figures  with  interior  cross  hatchings  are  proba 
bly  bear  hides.     The  remaining  figures  to  the  right,  ten  in  number, 
represent  the  skins  of  the  deer.     A  very  decided  attempt  is  shown  in 
this  illustration  at  ornamental  decoration  as  well  as  preserving  a  hunt 
ing  record,  as  the  figures  are  intended  to  be  represented  as  nearly  alike 
as  possible,  the  skin  of  each  species  of  animal  being  almost  exactly 
like  others  of  its  species. 

One  of  the  drill  bows  bears  a  series  of  illustrations  of  habitations, 
various  forms  being  indicated,  so  as  to  readily  connect  the  extremes. 
The  normal  form  is  shown  in  fig.  151,  while  the  more  conventionalized 
outline,  which  would,  if  alone,  be  difficult  of  specific  identification,  is 
shown  in  fig.  152. 

Plate  40,  fig.  7,  represents  a  series  of  sealsv  the  object  of  which  is 
rather  in  the  order  of  a  decoration  than  as  a  hunting  record.     The 
carving  is  deep,  and  characteristic  of  the  work  of  the  natives  from 
whom  it  was  obtained  at  Cape  Nome.    A  like  form 
of  representing  seals  is  shown  elsewhere. 

The  various  panels  in  plate  GO,  fig.  2,  contain  seals 
at  either  end,  as  Nos.  1  and  11,  while  the  bars  of  ver 
tical  lines  separate  the  intervening  portion  of  the 
ivory  rod  into  other  panels,  containing  single  figures 
of  trees,  in  regular  order  and  rather  conventional,  and  in  this  state 
resulting,  in  reality,  in  merely  a  subject  of  no  history,  but  of  decorative 
or  ornamental  import. 

At  No.  11  a  new  record  was  begun ;  a  man  is  seated,  and  is  appar 
ently  preparing  some  article  of  diet. 

Plate  G3,  fig  4,  represents  a  drill  bow  from  Kot/ebue  Sound.  The 
specimen  measures  18J  inches  in  length,  and  is  decorated  upon  the 
side  shown  in  the  illustration  by  two  rows  of  seals  equidistant  from 
one  another  and  so  arranged  as  to  represent  a  method  of  ornamenta 
tion  rather  than  a  historical  record.  The  great  number  of  seals  may 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  931 

indicate,  as  in  other  records,  that  the  hunter  was  a  very  successful  seal 
hunter.  Upon  the  opposite  or  convex  side  is  a  similar  portrayal  of 
animal  forms,  though  in  this  instance  only  one  continuous  row  of 
spouting'  Avhales  occupies  the  base  line,  Avhile  along  the  upper  line  but 
four  of  these  animals  have  been  drawn,  the  remaining  eight  spaces 
being  blank.  One  edge  of  this  bow  is  very  crudely  but  deeply  incised 
with  strange  looking  figures  representing  human  beings  with  alligator 
heads,  armed  with  mandibles  similar  to  those  of  huge  birds.  Several 
mammalian  forms  are  also  represented,  one  or  two  being  of  mythic 
import.  Several  kaiaks  are  also  shown,  the  occupants  being  engaged 
in  walrus  and  seal  hunting. 

Plate  21,  fig.  1,  is  the  back  of  the  bow  drill  represented  in  plate  3, 
fig.  1.  Considerable  interest  is  attached  to  this  specimen  from  the  fact 
of  the  pronounced  median  lines  extending  from  end  to  end,  the  various 
objects  between  these  and  the  outer  margin  being  so  arranged  as  to 
form  a  very  symmetrical  and  decorative  figure.  This  approaches  very 
nearly  one  variety  of  decoration  practiced  by  the  Papuans,  and  referred 
to  by  Mr.  Alfred  C.  II addon.1 

The  specimen  is  inverted  and  the  interpretation  begins  at  the  first 
figure  at  the  right,  which  represents  a  man  in  a  kaiak  following  four 
seals.  The  two  figures  extending  above  and  below  the  median  line  are 
bear  skins.  The  two  elongated  figures  at  the  narrow  portion  of  the 
bow  are  otter  skins.  These  are  succeeded  at  the  next  widening  of 
the  bow  by  the  representation  of  another  bear  skin,  and  so  on  alter 
nately  to  the  extreme  right,  in  addition  to  the  last  otter  skins  there 
being  still  two  added  because  of  the  narrowness  of  that  portion  of 
the  bow.  The  space  beyond  the  perforation  in  the  bow  at  the  extreme 
right  is  ornamented  also. 

Plate  24,  figs.  5  and  6,  represents  two  ivory  bodkins,  both  from  Norton 
Sound,  where  they  were  obtained  from  Mr.  E.  W.  Nelson.  They  are  each 
about  10 J  inches  in  length.  The  specimen  shown  in  fig.  5  is  sharply 
pointed  at  either  end  and  has  three  decorated  sides.  On  the  plate  the 
illustration  is  inverted  so  that  the  triangles  with  projecting  lines  which 
represent  summer  habitations  are  misleading.  In  this  instance  the 
figure  of  the  summer  habitation  has  been  adopted  as  a  means  of  deco 
ration  only  and  has  no  special  import.  Upon  the  next  side,  the  edge 
of  which  is  partly  visible,  are  the  figures  of  eight  walruses,  also  placed 
upon  the  utensil  simply  as  a  means  of  decoration.  Upon  each  of  the 
three  sides  appears  a  deeply  creased  base  line,  and  at  intervals  of 
about  one  inch  are  oblique  lines  one-eighth  of  an  inch  in  length  placed 
almost  together,  closely  resembling  one  of  the  forms  utilized  to  denote 
or  indicate  the  u  Finback"  whale.  The  signification  of  these  charac 
ters,  however,  can  not  be  determined.  They  are  believed  to  represent 
decorative  marks  only. 

Plate  24,  fig.  0,  represents  a  bodkin,  only  one  end  of  which  is  sharp- 

1  Evolution  in  Art,  before  quoted. 


932  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

ened,  the  other  end  terminating  in  a  seal  head.  The  four  sides  of  the 
specimen  are  decorated,  the  first,  shown  in  the  illustration,  bearing  six 
figures  composed  of  the  rear  halves  of  whales  joined  together  so  as  to 
present  flukes  symmetrically  at  either  end.  On  the  second  side  are  out 
lines  of  seven  triangular  summer  habitations,  on  the  right-hand  slope 
of  which  are  two  projecting  lines,  similar  almost  to  the  lines  in  the  pre 
ceding  figure  representing  summer  habitations.  On  the  third  side  are 
engraved  figures  of  seven  wolves,  while  upon  the  fourth  side  is  a  single 
horizontal  line  with  other  oblique  lines  extending  therefrom  at  inter 
vals  of  about  an  inch,  similar  to  the  groups  of  threes  in  the  preceding 
figure. 

Plate  21,  fig.  5,  represents  a  drill  bow  from  Kotzebue  Sound,  measur 
ing  17|  inches  in  length.  It  is  made  of  yellowish  and  old  looking 
ivory,  the  dorsum  being  round  while  the  under  surface  has  two  divided 
faces.  The  animals  represented  upon  these  are  wolves,  and  are  evi 
dently  arranged  in  such  manner  as  to  present  a  pictorial  result  rather 
than  a  hunting  record.  It  is  possible  that  the  hunter  may  have  been  a 
wolf  hunter  and  intended  in  this  manner  to  illustrate  his  great  success, 
as  a  great  number  frequently  indicates  an  indefinite  number  —  that  is,  a 
larger  number  gathered  during  a  lifetime  than  could  conveniently  be 


FIG.  153. 

CONVENTIONAL  BEARSKINS. 

portrayed  on  so  small  a  surface.  A  similar  idea  obtains  in  gesture 
language,  in  which  the  native  will  pass  his  hands  upward  and  outward 
as  if  outlining  a  heap  of  some  soft  material,  this  gesture  signifying 
large  or  many;  an  indefinite  number  signifying  a  great  many,  in  con 
tradistinction  to  a  limited  number  which  would  be  indicated  by  ges 
tures  of  an  entirely  different  form. 

The  specimen  shown  in  plate  37,  fig.  6,  is  part  of  a  drill  bow  which 
is  nearly  25  inches  in  length.  Upon  one  surface  the  utensil  is  deco 
rated  with  figures  of  seventeen  reindeer  and  nine  bear  skins,  rather 
decorative  than  as  a  hunting  record,  while  upon  that  side  visible  in  the 
illustration  thirty-seven  skins  of  the  seal  are  drawn,  the  interior  of 
these  objects  being  decorated  with  short  lines  extending  from  the  outer 
line  inward  toward  the  middle  of  the  body,  while  the  median  line 
extending  through  the  middle  of  the  hide  is  similarly  etched  toward 
the  outer  side,  leaving  the  two  white  spaces  as  a  series  of  zigzags. 

Plate  59,  fig.  1,  represents  a  drill  bow  from  Nubriakh,  collected  by 
Mr.  E.  W.  Xelson.  The  characters  represent  bearskins,  and  are  placed 
almost  at  equal  distances  from  one  another  across  the  entire  length  of 
the  specimen,  to  represent  ornamentation  rather  than  a  record  of 
exploits. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895. — Hoffman. 


O 


PLATE  77. 


o 


10 


-6- 


VARIOUS  FORMS  OF  CONCENTRIC  CIRCLES. 

From  Eskimo  specimens. 


13 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    77. 

Fig.  1.  Simple  nucleated  circle,  found  exceedingly  common  ou  ivory  utensils  and 
ornaments. 

Figs.  2,  3,  4,  7,  and  10.  Represent  various  forms  of  concentric  circles,  usual  as  orna 
mental  or  decorative.  Some  of  these  are  drawn  to  denote  nests  of  Kantags 
or  buckets. 

Fig.  5.  Not  common,  but  evidently  made  with  auger  bit. 

Figs.  6,8,  12,  and  13.  These  occur  on  various  animal  effigies,  and  are  made  to  denote 
the  eyes. 

Fig.  0.  This  is  a  variant,  and  occurs  on  a  Thlinket  specimen,  apparently  in  imitation 
of  Eskimo  patterns. 

Fig.  11.  Cranberry  stalk  and  blossom. 

Figs.  M-  and  15.  Variants  of  Mower  of  the  cranberry. 


GRAPHIC   ART   OF   THE    ESKIMOS.  933 

The  nine  crude  outlines  shown  in  fig.  153  represent  that  number  of 
bears  killed  during  the  lifetime  of  the  owner  of  the  record. 

The  skins  are  here  suspended  from  upright  poles  or  posts,  and  the 
arrangement  of  figures  has,  in  other  instances,  suggested  patterns  for 
decorative  purposes,  as  will  be  observed  elsewhere  in  connection  with 
the  subject  pertaining  thereto. 

Figs.  7  and  8  of  plate  50  are  spear  guards  usually  attached  to  the 
upper  surface  of  the  canoe  so  as  to  form  a  secure  guard  upon  which 
the  spear  is  placed.  Both  of  these  guards  are  decorated  with  concentric 
rings,  both  different.  Upon  the  outer  line  in  fig.  7  we  perceive  diverg 
ing  short  lines  terminating  in  the  conventional  V-shape  or  tree  figure, 
while  in  the  other,  fig.  8,  will  be  perceived  the  plain  line,  which  may 
perhaps  refer  to  the  flower  symbol  noted  in  fig.  4  of  plate  50,  and 
described  elsewhere  in  Mr.  Turner's  communication.  See  also  plate  75 
bearing  various  forms  of  native  patterns  of  circles. 

Plate  38  represents  four  ivory  bag  handles,  of  which  fig.  1  is  from 
Norton  Sound.  It  bears  upon  the  upper  side  four  sets  of  concentric 
circles,  equidistant  from  one  another,  and  connected  by  a  median  line, 
above  and  below  which  are  a  pair  of  radiating  diagonal  lines  appar 
ently  denoting  the  conventional  symbol  of  whale  fins.  This  specimen 
is  similarly  marked  upon  the  bottom  side  and  convex  edge.  With  ref 
erence  to  this  ornamentation,  it  is  one  step  beyond  that  represented  in 
plate  29,  fig.  2,  which  was  obtained  at  St.  Michaels,  and  upon  one  side 
of  which  are  shown  five  sets  of  concentric  circles  similarly  connected 
by  median  lines,  but  without  the  lateral  radiating  lines  above  noticed. 

On  plate  38,  fig.  3,  is  shown  another  bag  handle  upon  which  appear 
seven  sets  of  concentric  circles,  which,  however,  are  smaller  than  those 
shown  on  the  two  preceding  specimens,  plate  38,  figs.  1,  2.  The  design 
shown  in  fig.  3  appears  to  be  the  primary  mode  of  decoration,  as  in 
this  there  are  no  connecting  lines. 

Plate  48  represents  a  variety  of  ear  pendants  from  several  localities 
on  the  west  coast  of  Alaska.  The  chief  feature  of  these  specimens 
consists  in  the  variety  of  ornamentation.  Simple  dots  made  by  drill 
ing,  concentric  rings,  nucleated  circles,  and  in  one  specimen — fig.  8 — a 
series  of  serrations  attached  to  two  of  the  circles,  comprise  the  chief 
features  of  ornamentation.  Fig.  9,  however,  represents  a  powder 
charger  consisting  of  a  bell-shaped  implement,  hollow  beneath,  with 
just  sufficient  cavity  to  contain  one  charge  of  powder.  The  nucleated 
circles  upon  this  specimen  are  among  the  smallest  thus  far  found  in 
the  collections  of  the  National  Museum.  The  arrangement  of  the  cir 
cles,  also,  is  artistic  and  geometrical.  Those  attached  to  lines  extend 
ing  from  the  ring,  and  apparently  suspended  therefrom,  are,  without 
doubt,  flower  symbols,  as  midway  between  the  circle  and  the  upper 
ring  are  short  lines  denoting  leaves.  This  is  probably  the  blossom  or 
fruit  of  the  cranberry —  Vaccinium  Vitis-idcm. 

Around  the  lower  border  of  the  utensil  is  a  delicately  incised  line, 


934  REPORT   OF   NATIONAL   MUSEUM,  1895. 

small  nucleated  circles  alternating  with  vertical  lines  terminating 
above  in  a  similar  small  nucleated  circle,  from  which  diverge  two  short 
lines,  which  in  turn  end  in  similar  rings.  The  entire  outline  of  the 
character  is  that  of  the  simpler  form  of  the  tree  symbol,  though  it  is 
believed  to  denote  the  fruit  of  the  arctic  plant  known  as  the  Vaccinium. 
This  belief  is  strengthened  by  the  occurrence  of  similar  characters 
known  to  denote  this  plant,  and  from  which  a  native  carrying  a  bucket 
or  kautag  is  shown  as  in  the  act  of  plucking  fruit.  Compare  fig.  70,  p.  863. 

Above  these  characters  are  a  series  of  larger  nucleated  rings,  each 
with  three  radiating  lines,  which  are  without  doubt  intended  to  repre 
sent  the  flowers  of  this  same  plant.  That  the  circle  with  such  exter 
nal  ornamental  appendages  is  intended  to  represent  flowers  has  been 
explained  in  Mr.  Turner's  communication  above  noted. 

The  circles  portrayed  upon  this  specimen  are  the  most  delicate  found 
upon  any  of  the  specimens  in  the  National  Museum.  They  are  appar 
ently  the  work  of  an  expert  workman,  and  made  with  comparatively 
delicate  instruments. 

The  arrangement  of  nucleated  rings  in  the  form  of  a  triangle  and 
connected  by  short  lines,  as  in  the  fruit  or  plant  character  above  noted, 
appears  upon  some  Thlinkit  bone  ornaments  shown,  in  plate  9,  fig.  3. 
The  transmission  of  the  character,  or  its  suggestion,  appears  to  have 
come  from  the  Innuit,  the  southern  tribes  being  known  to  make  this 
pattern,  and  the  intertribal  relations  with  their  eastern  and  southern 
neighbors  is  constant.  Being  a  shaman's  ornament  among  the  Thliukit 
would  suggest  the  idea  that  tbe  original  signification  of  the  character 
was  unknown  to  them. 

Plate  68,  fig.  6,  represents  a  very  beautiful  rod  of  ivory  from  Kotzebue 
Sound.  It  is  perforated  at  one  end  like  a  bag  handle,  but  sharpened 
at  the  other  in  imitation  of  a  bodkin.  Three  sides  are  decorated.  The 
peculiarity  of  the  ornamentation  is  the  insertion  in  the  blank  spaces  of 
nucleated  rings,  their  association  with  these  hunting  expeditions  being- 
very  much  in  imitation  of  the  characters  upon  the  petroglyphs  at 
Bohusliin,  in  Sweden,  and  shown  in  plates  75,  76,  and  others  of  like 
character,  showing  simple  nuclei  or  pits,  as  well  as  nucleated  circles 
attached  to  lines  to  represent  human  beings,  exactly  like  some  found 
in  the  Shoshonean  area  of  southern  Nevada  and  in  the  Mold  country. 
The  illustration  in  plate  75  represents  at  the  extreme  left  four  vertical 
lines,  with  the  zigzag  and  toothed  pattern  found  upon  other  objects, 
which  has  been  designated  as  the  fish  trap  or  seal  tooth  pattern.  The 
next  figure,  a  crescent,  and  is  a  symbolical  whale  tail.  The  two  bars 
leaning  toward  one  another,  between  the  whale  tail  and  the  walrus, 
are  the  rude  outlines  of  the  sides  of  a  habitation,  the  delicate  indication 
of  the  occupants  within  being  shown.  The  remaining  figures,  as  will 
be  observed,  consist  of  a  kaiak  and  several  whales  and  walruses.  The 
groups  upon  the  other  sides  of  this  rod  are  very  much  in  imitation  of 
the  preceding. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1  895.—  Hoffman. 


PLATE   75. 


o    o 


o 

O  0^0 


4ff^^> 


* 

Xiiiiiii  niJ/ 


PETROGLYPHS  AT  BOHUSLAN.  SWEDEN. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,   1  895. -Hoffman. 


PLATE  76. 


PETROGLYPHS  AT  BOHUSLAN,  SWEDEN. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1895. — Hoffman. 


PLATE  78. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  935 

Other  interesting  and  similar  illustrations  of  nucleated  rings,  in  con 
nection  with  lines  to  denote  human  beings,  are  given  by  Hans  Hilde- 
brand,1  as  also  concentric  circles  and  simple  nuclei  in  the  same  work, 
page  381.  These  illustrations  are  of  petroglyphs,  and  it  is  evident  that 
in  the  first  named  instance  the  nucleated  ring  is  the  head  of  an  oarsman, 
or  perhaps  one  in  authority,  as  most  of  the  designations  for  the  rowers 
are  alike  in  length  and  form,  whereas  the  nucleated  figures  are  always 
nearer  one  end  of  the  vessel. 

Plate  31,  fig.  3,  bears  upon  one  side  a  median  incision,  upon  the  upper 
sides  of  which  are  represented  a  series  of  conventionalized  trees.  Upon 
the  reverse  are  similar  tree  patterns,  but  drawn  at  oblique  angles,  all 
leaning  toward  the  left. 

In  the  figure  of  a  ship's  anchor  chain  the  links  are  indicated  by  draw 
ing  the  chain  zigzag.  This  is  found  to  occur  in  only  one  instance,  as 
shown  on  plate  40,  fig.  2. 

Other  interesting  examples  of  conventionalizing  are  shown  in  the 
distinction  between  the  portrayal  of  an  ice  floe,  being  a  simple  curved 
line  as  in  No.  5  of  fig.  112,  to  denote  transparency  of  substance,  while 
the  walrus  upon  it  is  incised  and  the  surface  blackened. 

A  similar  view  of  walrus  upon  rocks  is  shown  in  fig.  3  on  plate  70, 
the  rocks  being  outlined  somewhat  after  the  order  of  a  floe,  though,  to 
show  the  solid  and  creased  sides  of  the  dark  material,  the  pictograph 
is  incised  with  the  zigzag-like  pattern,  frequently  illustrated  in  orna 
mental  borders  as  the  fish-trap  pattern. 

Plate  38,  fig.  4,  shows  a  bag  handle  from  Point  Hope.  The  outer 
edges  are  scalloped,  a  small  circular  excision  appearing  at  the  points 
where  these  scallops  should  terminate,  each  of  these  excisions  being 
furthermore  ornamented  by  a  circular  line  which  surrounds  it  and  from 
which  radiate  shorter  lines  at  right  angles  like  the  rays  of  the  sun. 
In  the  middle  of  the.  handle,  extending  from  end  to  end,  is  a  high, 
rounded  ridge,  at  each  side  of  which  is  a  median  line;  on  the  sides 
facing  the  circular  excisions  are  two  short  lines  directed  outward,  while 
midway  between  these  points  are  two  shorter  lines  directed  inward 
toward  one  another. 

Plate  78  represents  part  of  a  page  from  a  whaleman's  log  book,  being 
a  journal  of  the  bark  Peri,  Captain  E.  Russell,  who  sailed  Friday,  June 
29,  1854,  from  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  for  the  Indian  Ocean,  on  a  sperm- 
whaling  voyage,  and  returned  May  26,  1857.  As  will  be  observed  by 
reference  to  the  illustrations,  the  note  under  date  of  Tuesday,  Decem 
ber  11, 1855,  is  as  follows: 

Commences  with  fresh  breezes  from  NW.  Squally  &  Rainy  heading  SW.  Middle 
part  heavy  Rain.  Latter  part  7  A.  M  Saw  a  school  of  Sperm  Whales.  Lowered  all 
three  boats.  Struck  and  saved  7  Whales,  got  them  alongside  at  1  P  M  and  com 
menced  cutting  Latt  4"  21  N  Long.  60"  W 

Near  the  left  margin  is  a  vertical  column  of  six  whales.     At  the 
i  "De  Lagre  Naturfolkens  Konst,"  Stockholm,  1884,  pp.  379, 380. 


936  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

extreme  left  is  an  inscription,  U16th  time  of  seeing  them,"  denoting 
that  it  was  the  sixteenth  time  that  whales  had  been  sighted.  The 
letters  at  the  tail  end  of  the  whales,  W  B,  S  B,  and  L  B,  denote  waist 
boat,  starboard  boat,  and  larboard  boat,  two  whales  being  captured  by 
the  first  and  second,  while  three  were  taken  by  the  last  named.  At 
the  right  of  the  whales  are  the  numbers  of  barrels  of  oil  furnished  by 
each,  as  well  as  the  total,  amounting  to  146.  The  method  of  stamping 
these  outlines  is  by  means  of  small  wooden  blocks,  which  are  dipped  in 
ink  or  other  coloring  matter,  for  the  reason  that  the  picture  of  the 
whale  is  so  readily  perceived,  obviating  the  necessity  ot  searching  over 
each  page  to  find  any  special  reference  thereto  in  the  manuscript  text. 

On  plate  71)  is  represented  another  part  of  the  same  log  book,  and 
under  date  of  Monday,  July  21,  185G,  are  two  references,  the  first,  "29 
time  of  seeing,"  and  another  "30th  time,"  referring  to  the  characters 
of  whale's  flukes  or  tails  standing  upright,  and  denoting  in  this  con 
nection  that  the  whales  were  sighted  but  not  captured. 

On  plate  80  are  represented  five  specimens  of  Eskimo  carvings  which 
are  of  interest  in  this  connection. 

In  fig.  1  is  shown  a  very  short  kantag,  or  perhaps  bag  handle,  from 
Sledge  Island,  the  original  measuring  but  about  2£  inches  in  length, 
while  the  perforations  along  the  top  ridge  separate  the  pieces  of  ivory 
into  ii  series  of  connected  flukes.  These  are  better  illustrated  on  fig. 
3,  a  specimen  from  Cape  Darby,  in  which  the  whale  tails  are  almost 
separated  from  one  another,  slightly  bent  to  one  side,  and  very  natural 
in  general  outline. 

In  fig.  4  is  shown  another  neat  specimen  from  Sledge  Island,  while  in 
fig.  2  we  have  one  made  of  a  piece  of  hollow  ivory  or  bone,  in  which 
both  ridges  are  rudely  perforated  so  as  to  simulate  whale  tails,  as  in 
the  preceding  illustrations.  These  four  specimens  are  of  interest,  from 
the  fact  that  the  flukes  are  utilized  in  the  decoration  or  ornamentation 
of  utensils,  and  probably  at  the  same  time  denoting  that  the  owner 
was  a  whale  hunter  or  had  been  successful  in  catching  whales.  The 
most  interesting  specimen  in  the  series,  however,  is  that  given  in  fig.  5, 
which  represents  a  kantag  handle  from  Point  Hope.  This  specimen, 
in  addition  to  having  the  carving  of  a  whale  fluke  at  the  upper  edge, 
has  neatly  engraved  upon  one  side  four  flukes,  flanked  on  either  side 
by  a  bowhead  whale  facing  inward.  The  six  figure?  are  arranged 
artistically  and  symmetrically,  and  are  almost  exactly  of  the  same 
class  of  ornamentation  as  in  plate  80. 

The  question  would  naturally  arise  whether  the  Eskimo  had  copied 
such  methods  of  portrayal  from  the  whalers,  or  the  whalers  from  the 
Eskimo,  or  whether  the  art  evolved  independently  among  both. 

In  consultation  with  Captain  E.  P.  Herendeen,  now  of  Washington, 
District  of  Columbia,  a  gentleman  who  has  spent  many  years  in  the 
Arctic  regions,  I  am  informed  by  him  that  he  made  his  first  whaling 
voyage  toward  Point  Barrow  in  the  year  1854.  At  that  time  he  found 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1  895.  —  Hoffman. 


PLATE   79. 


/ 


WHALER'S  RECORD  OF  SIGHTING  WHALES. 


EXPLANATION    OF    PLATE    80. 


Fig.  1.  KANTAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  Mo.  4.-)154,  V.  S.  N.  M.     Sledge  Island.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 
Fig.  2.  KANTAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  No.  43434,  IT.  S.  N.  M.      St.  Michaels.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  3.  KANTAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  No.  48137,  TL  S.  N.  M.     Cape  Darby.     Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  4.  KANTAG  HANDLE. 

(( 'at.  No.  44717,  I".  S.  N.  M.      Sledge  Island.      Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 

Fig.  n.  KANTAG  HANDLE. 

(Cat.  No.  G3801,  I'.  S.  N.  M.      Point  Hope.      Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.) 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,   1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  80. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  937 

iii  possession  of  the  natives  of  Point  Barrow  innumerable  specimens 
of  ivory  upon  which  were  engraved  similar  outlines  of  flukes  and 
whales,  both  of  which  had  reference  to  whaling  expeditions.  Captain 
Herendeen  believes  also  that  the  Innuit  practiced  this  method  of 
indicating  a  whale,  by  simply  portraying  its  tail,  prior  to  the  voyages 
to  that  part  of  the  Arctic  ocean  of  the  whalers.  This  is  a  question 
that  can  not  now  be  satisfactorily  determined  when  we  come  to  remem 
ber  the  early  arrival  in  that  part  of  the  Arctic  regions  of  the  Russians 
and  people  of  other  nationalties,  all  of  whom  came  for  purposes  of 
exploration  and  probably  traffic.  The  practice  of  portraying  but  part 
of  an  animal  for  the  whole,  known  as  synecdoche,  is  very  common 
among  some  of  our  native  Indian  tribes,  and  it  seems  to  have  resulted 
chiefly,  perhaps,  as  labor  saving,  and  also  perhaps  because  many  of 
the  natives  may  have  had  occasion  to  portray  certain  animals  by  only 
the  most  conspicuous  parts  to  represent  the  whole,  as  the  observer 
would  readily  understand  the  intention  of  the  artist.  Such  a  process 
of  pictography  is  particularly  prevalent  among  the  Dakota  and  other 
of  the  Plains  Indians,  especially  in  connec 
tion  with  the  indication  of  proper  names,  in 
which  the  human  head  is  drawn  with  a 
short  line,  issuing  from  the  mouth  and  run 
ning  upward  from  the  head,  connecting 

WHALE  FLUKES,    CAPE  NOME. 

thereby  the  object  or  animal  which  suggests 

the  name  of  the  person;  and  in  which  the  line  denotes  speech,  in  imi 
tation  of  the  common  gesture  sign  made  by  passing  the  finger  forward 
from  the  mouth,  denoting  "That  is  it,"  instead  of  simply  passing  the 
finger  forward  to  denote  speech  generically;  the  latter  would  be  indi 
cated  in  pictographs  only  by  a  short  straight  line,  extending  forward 
and  perhaps  slightly  curved,  but  not  attached  to  any  object. 

In  comparison  with  the  preceding  remarks  concerning  the  conventional 
fluke,  the  accompanying  designs  on  fig.  154  are  reproduced  from  a 
specimen  from  Cape  Nome.  The  forms  are  diverse,  yet  both  are  accu 
rate  in  suggesting  the  original  which  furnished  the  concept. 

Such  T-shaped  figures,  denoting  flukes,  are  tattooed  upon  the  body 
to  signify  that  the  person  so  decorated  is  a  successful  whaler.  Reference 
to  several  localities  where  the  natives  practice  this  method  of  personal 
adornment,  to  indicate  also  individual  achievement,  will  be  found  under 
the  caption  of  Tattooing,  p.  781. 

Plate  14,  fig.  3,  represents  a  kantag  or  bucket  handle  from  Norton 
Sound.  Upon  this  specimen  is  engraved  a  wolf,  to  the  right  of  which 
are  two  grazing  reindeer,  while  the  fourth  and  fifth  characters  repre 
sent  hides  or  skins  of  bear  placed  in  an  upright  position  so  as  to 
almost  resemble  the  tree  symbol.  To  the  right  of  this  is  a  habitation 
with  smoke  rising  from  the  smoke  hole,  and  a  native  approaching  the 
entrance.  Along  the  upper  margin  of  this  specimen  are  two  seals  at 
the  left,  and  a  whale's  fluke,  indicating  that  a  whale  was  seen  by  the 


938  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

natives  in  the  boat  to  the  right.  This  portrayal  of  the  whale's  fluke, 
although  utilized  as  a  simple  ornament  or  decorative  design  in  many 
instances,  is  here  portrayed  in  imitation  of  the  system  adopted  by  the 
New  England  whalers,  as  represented  in  plate  80. 

Plate  68,  fig.  1,  is  a  drill  bow  from  Cape  Nome,  15 J  inches  in  length 
and  f  of  an  inch  square.  Upon  the  side  shown  in  the  illustration  are 
a  series  of  semicircles,  with  tooth-like  attachments  on  the  upper  sur 
face,  the  interior  being1  filled  in  with  vertical  lines.  Between  each  of 
these  semicircles  is  a  cross-like  figure  denoting  a  bird.  The  semicircles 
themselves  are  conventional  characters  to  represent  whales. 

At  the  extreme  right  is  the  outline  of  a  reindeer  facing  toward  a 
native,  who  has  his  arms  in  the  attitude  as  if  holding  a  bow,  part  of 
the  character  being  obliterated.  Upon  the  opposite  side  of  this  bow 
are  a  number  of  curious  looking  objects  somewhat  resembling  the  gen 
eral  outline  of  a  whale  with  a  peculiar  mandible-like  attachment  extend 
ing  upward  and  forward  from  the  head,  while  to  the  back  are  attached 
short,  inclined  lines  almost  resembling  harpoons.  The  fact  that  these 
short  lines  are  placed  in  position  by  pairs  indicates  that  they  denote 
legs,  the  mandible  being  in  reality  the  mouth  of  the  mythic  creature 
which  it  represents  lying  upon  its  back  with  the  feet  uppermost.  At 
the  extreme  right  of  this  record  are  three  small  creatures  of  the  same 
species,  though  not  as  carefully  represented  as  the  preceding  ones. 

Upon  the  top  of  the  bow  the  left  and  middle  portion  is  occupied  by 
reindeer,  and  a  habitation,  near  to  which  is  a  meat  rack  and  human 
figures  with  arms  outstretched.  At  the  right  of  the  record  is  a  very 
delicately  engraved  picture  of  a  village  with  six  habitations. 

The  bottom  of  the  bow  is  ornamented  by  a  continuous  line  of  nucle 
ated  rings  of  several  sizes,  the  central  perforations  in  nearly  every 
instance  being  unusually  deep,  while  the  rings  themselves  surround 
ing  the  perforations  are  generally  deeper  on  one  side  as  if  the  instru 
ment  with  which  they  were  made  had  not  been  held  directly  at  right 
angles  with  the  surface  operated  upon. 

COMPARISON. 

Plate  81  represents  a  "  History  of  a  Year  of  the  Chukch."  It  is  repro 
duced  from  a  lithographic  print  by  Doctor  Carlos  Bovallius,  and  is  in 
imitation  of  the  original,  drawn  on  walrus  skin,  and  it  is  alleged  to 
have  been  the  work  of  some  Chukche  natives.  It  is  not  known  whether 
Doctor  Bovallius  has  published  a  history  in  detail  of  this  pictographic 
record,  but  attention  was  called  to  the  record  by  Doctor  Walter  Hough 
of  the  National  Museum,  who  received  the  above  information,  in  turn, 
from  Doctor  Bovallius,  to  the  effect  that  the  record  refers  to  the  avoca 
tions  and  hunts  of  one  entire  year. 

The  preceding  paragraph  was  written  one  year  ago  and  the  interpre 
tation  given  at  that  time,  and  in  connection  therewith,  was  based  upon 
the  application  of  Eskimo  pictographs  of  known  signification,  and 
upon  information  possessed  relative  to  such  interpretation  in  general. 


I  ^ 


Report  of  U,  S.  National  Museum,  1895.— Hoffman. 


HISTORY  OF  A  Yn 


PLATE  81 


OF  i  "HE  CHUKCH.' 


GRAPHIC    ART   OF   THE   ESKIMOS.  939 

Having  within  the  past  few  days  had  opportunity,  and  occasion,  to 
further  examine  the  literature  bearing  upon  the  Swedish  Polar  Expe 
ditions,  I  learn  that  this  plate  forms  one  of  the  illustrations  given  by 
Mr.  Hans  Hildebrand  in  his  monograph  on  primitive  art,  and  forming 
a  chapter  in  one  of  Baron  Nordenskiold's  works.1  In  speaking*  of  the 
generally  intelligible  state  of  the  pictographic  characters,  he  remarks 
as  follows: 

"Ich  will  es  allerdings  niclit  auf  mich  nehmen,  von  alien  diesen  Bil- 
dern  eine  befriedigende  Erkliirung  zu  geben,  die  Hauptziige  sind  jedoch 
so  deutlich,  das  sie  nicht  misverstauden  werden  Konnen.  Nahe  den 
Coutouren  der  Haut  laufen  auf  beinahe  alien  seiten  breite  Linien, 
welche  an  mehreren  Stellen  zu  breiten  Flecken  aufschuellen.  Diese 
Linien  stellen  den  Strand  dar,die  Flecken  sind  zuweilen  Hohen,  zuweilen 
Zelte,  die  letzen  theils  an  den  regelmiissigen  Konischen  Formen,  tlieils 
an  den  fiber  die  Zeltspitze  hinausgehenden  Enden  der  das  Gerippe  des 
Zeltes  bildenden  Stangen  erkennbar — diese  Kleinen  hervorstehenden 
Euden  tindeu  sich  auch  auf  den  moderiien  Abbildungen  der  Tchukt- 
schen-Dorfer." 

The  following  interpretation  is  given  as  viewed  from  the  Eskimo 
standpoint,  as  the  entire  collection  of  figures  of  animals,  whales,  ships, 
human  beings,  and  every  other  character  is  typically  Eskimo,  and  the 
system  of  recording,  as  well  as  the  type  of  characters  themselves,  was 
undoubtedly  obtained  from  the  Eskimo  by  copying  other  like  records 
of  ivory  obtained  from  the  natives  of  the  American  coast,  or  possibly 
from  the  Yiiit,  who  are  near  neighbors  of  the  Ohukche,  and  who  are, 
furthermore,  the  Asiatic  representatives  of  the  Eskimo.  Neither  is  it 
known  that  the  Ohukche  were  at  all  proficient,  originally,  in  recording 
pictorial ly  their  records,  literature  being  generally  silent  on  that  sub 
ject,  and  nothing  appears  in  the  collections  of  the  National  Museum 
that  bears  any  relation  to  ornamentation  of  any  character  whatever 
and  marked  as  of  Chukche  origin. 

Believing  therefore  that  the  record  under  discussion  is  Eskimo,  the 
interpretation  is  given  from  the  standpoint  of  our  knowledge  of  Indian 
characters.  The  presence  of  the  two  disks,  Nos.  1  and  2,  denote  the 
sun,  No.  1  being  in  Indian  pictography  a  black  sun,  or  night,  while  No. 
2  represents  the  summer  sun  as  it  usually  appears  a  little  above  the 
northern  horizon.  These  two  scenes  therefore  would  confirm  the  state 
ment  given  by  Doctor  Bovallius  as  covering  the  period  of  one  year. 
About  the  outer  margin  of  this  record,  and  marked  by  indentations 
and  irregularities,  appears  the  shore  line,  upon  the  outer  margin  of 
which  toward  the  border  of  the  record  are  various  scenes  depicted  as 
occurring  upon  a  solid  surface,  while  within  the  line  generally  are 
various  scenes,  as  whale  hunting,  etc.  The  outlines  of  habitations  are 
also  scattered  at  intervals,  as  in  Nos.  3  and  4,  apparently  in  the  midst 

'Studier  ocli  Forskningar  foranledda  af  mina  resor  i  koga  norden.  Stockholm, 
1884.  Pis.  and  ill.  This  work  was  repriuted  in  Leipzig,  1885,  under  the  title  of 
"Studien  uud  Forschungen  veranlasst  durch  meine  reisen  im  hoheii  Norden/' 


940  REPORT   OF    NATIONAL   MUSEUM,  1895. 

of  the  water,  but  this  results,  no  doubt,  from  the  fact  that  large  blank 
spaces  had  been  left  after  the  aquatic  scenes  were  completed,  and  the 
habitations  were  then  placed  upon  the  most  available  space.  In  No.  3 
will  be  observed  a  vertical  pole  with  cords  stretched  out  to  various 
sides  of  the  pole,  while  beneath  are  represented  four  human  beings. 
The  import  of  this  is  not  clear,  but  in  fig.  4  we  have  the  outline  of  an 
underground  habitation  very  similar  to  many  of  those  represented  on 
the  ivory  rods.  Over  the  entrance  is  placed  a  votive  offering,  shown 
by  a  vertical  line  with  a  short  cross  line  attached  to  the  top,  beneath 
which  is  a  human  being  with  arms  extended  from  the  head  as  if  reach 
ing  to  something  above  him.  Upon  the  dome-shaped  portion  of  the 
habitation  are  three  human  beings,  one  crawling  by  the  side,  while 
two  are  engaged  in  peeping  down  through  the  smoke  hole  to  see  what 
is  going  on  within.  On  the  inside  are  three  natives,  one  on  the  floor, 
while  the  second  is  seated  on  the  bench  or  projecting  boards  placed 
around  the  interior,  which  also  serve  as  beds,  while  the  third  appears 
to  be  hanging  by  his  feet  from  a  horizontal  bar.  Whether  this  is  sim 
ply  an  acrobatic  feat  or  not,  we  have  no  means  of  determining.  At  No. 
5  is  another  object  in  the  shape  of  a  parallelogram  within  which  two 
human-like  objects  are  seated,  facing  in  opposite  directions.  These 
characters  are  very  similar  to  the  Shoshonian  pictographs  as  found 
among  the  cliff  remains  of  northwestern  Arizona.  The  hands  of  one 
of  these  characters  are  elevated,  with  the  fingers  outspread,  as  if 
making  gestures,  while  the  other  has  his  hands  placed  toward  the 
ground,  with  fingers  spread.  It  is  probable  that  this  represents  some 
shamanistic  idea. 

Among  the  various  representations  of  umiaks  are  some  very  interest 
ing  ones,  those  in  Nos.  6,  7,  and  8  being  particularly  well  drawn.  At 
No.  9  is  one  which  very  much  resembles  the  petroglyphs,  or  the  petro- 
graphic  representation  of  boats  as  found  in  Sweden,  of  which  an  illus 
tration  is  given  in  plate  7G.  A  fine  illustration  of  harpooning  is  shown 
in  No.  10,  the  floats  being  attached  to  the  line,  while  the  animal  is 
shown  as  attempt  ing  to  escape,  at  the  same  time  blowing  water  above 
his  head.  A  similar  exploit  is  shown  in  No.  11,  the  harpoon  having 
been  cast  and  the  whale  followed  by  the  umiak  represented  in  No.  12. 
In  No.  13  is  shown  an  umiak,  from  which  a  harpoon  is  being  thrown  at 
a  seal,  while  the  native  in  the  stern  is  elevating  his  paddle  in  imitation 
of  the  signal  to  denote  concentration.  This  is  a  notice  to  the  accom 
panying  kaiaks  that  the  harpoon  has  been  cast  and  that  the  assisting 
hunters  are  to  surround  the  animal  struck. 

In  No.  14  we  have  the  interesting  illustration  of  a  whale  being 
harpooned,  the  float  appearing  behind,  while  a  second  harpoon  has 
been  thrown  into  him,  the  line  of  which  is  still  attached  to  an  umiak, 
which  in  turn  is  connected  by  a  continuous  line  to  a  second  umiak, 
both  boat  loads  of  hunters  in  this  wise  keeping  up  with  their  foray. 
In  No.  15  a  whale  is  likewise  shown  with  two  harpoons  and  floating 
lines  attached. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  941 

Upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  illustration  is  seen  a  pregnant  whale 
(fig.  10),  the  body  of  the  larger  animal  being  lifted  partly,  while  within 
is  portrayed  a  smaller  whale  with  the  head  directed  toward  the  head 
of  its  parent.  A  little  to  the  left  of  this  are  some  well-drawn  illustra 
tions  of  sledges,  to  which  three  dogs  are  hitched,  No.  17,  while  around  to 
the  left  are  the  outlines  of  several  natives  holding  their  arms  aloft  as  if 
experiencing  surprise  or  joy  at  something  in  which  they  are  interested. 
At  No.  18  is  shown  an  indentation  representing  a  little  inlet  in  which 
a  whaler  is  shown  anchored.  Near  the  vessel  are  natives  in  various 
attitudes,  as  if  engaged  in  conversation  or  barter,  while  above,  in  No, 
11),  are  four  small  triangular  bodies  projecting  toward  the  water,  whicl) 
denote  habitations,  very  much  in  form  like  the  ordinary  Indian  tent. 

At  No.  20  is  the  outline  of  a  large  bear  being  attacked  by  two 
natives,  the  one  in  front  pretending  to  strike  him  with  some  large 
object,  while  the  man  behind  him  is  in  the  attitude  of  using  a  spear. 
Quite  a  settlement  is  represented  at  a  projecting  point  of  land,  No.  21, 
the  lines  upon  which  are  continuous  dark  bodies,  both  round  and  tri 
angular,  representing  habitations  of  various  kinds. 

In  No.  22  are  represented  six  small  scaffolds,  and  from  the  opposite 
side  of  this  point  are  three  others  which  may  represent  burial  scaffolds, 
or  they  may  possibly  be  intended  for  food  storage  only.  At  No.  23  is 
the  shore  line,  the  short  projecting  lines  radiating  therefrom  appar 
ently  denoting  sedges  or  grass,  while  the  lines  extending  around  the 
village  appear  to  denote  a  rise  in  the  land  corresponding  to  the  con 
tour  lines.  In  No.  24  is  shown  an  individual  upon  a  loft,  with  arms 
outstretched,  as  if  making  signals.  In  No.  25  two  habitations  are 
shown,  with  another  scafitold  denoting  the  end  of  the  settlement.  The 
inclosure  between  Nos.  24  and  25,  within  Avhich  are  vast  numbers  of 
short  lines,  seems  to  denote  a  marsh  with  sedges,  or  reeds,  or  other 
aquatic  plants,  while  in  No.  20  we  have  a  continuous  line  of  blackened 
spots  denoting  the  contour  of  a  mountain  range  upon  which  we  find  at 
several  points  human  beings,  one  with  a  spear,  while  another  has  his 
arms  outstretched  as  if  attracting  attention.  Beyond  this  range  are 
indicated  various  animals,  conspicuous  amongst  them  being  the  deer. 
This  apparently  denotes  a  hunting  ground.  At  No.  27  is  another  inlet 
in  which  are  represented  three  whalers  or  whaling  ships,  while  upon 
the  shore  we  find  two  pairs  of  human  beings  in  which  one  person  of 
each  pair  seems  to  hand  forward  some  object  to  the  other,  who  is 
shown  with  outstretched  arms  as  if  to  receive  it.  About  the  ships  are 
shown  numbers  of  umiaks  loaded  with  natives  who  have  come  to  trade. 
In  No.  28  is  another  indication  of  a  bear  hunt,  three  natives  partici 
pating  in  this  attack,  two  armed  with  bows  and  arrows,  while  the  third 
has  only  a  spear.  In  No.  29  is  shown  what  appears  to  be  a  hostile 
encounter  between  several  natives,  and  actual  hostility  is  taking  place 
as  shown  in  No.  30,  where  two  are  engaged  in  grappling  with  one 
another,  while  their  companions  stand  by  in  various  attitudes  of  sur 
prise  or  alarm. 


942  REPORT   OF    NATIONAL   MUSEUM,  1895. 

Along  the  siiore  line  indicated  at  No.  31  are  numbers  of  habitations 
and  scaffolds,  as  observed  elsewhere,  while  at  No.  32  are  a  series  of 
black  projections  which  evidently  denote  hills,  as  these  are  also  shown 
at  No.  26.  The  native  shown  in  No.  33  appears  to  have  shot  an  arrow 
into  some  animal,  while  the  native  in  front  of  the  latter  is  in  the  atti 
tude  of  thrusting  his  spear.  Absence  of  horns  seems  to  indicate  a  doe, 
or  possibly  a  bear,  although  the  length  of  the  limbs  would  preclude  the 
latter  idea.  At  No.  34,  however,  the  figure  of  a  bear  is  drawn  more 
carefully.  In  No.  35  is  shown  a  herd  of  reindeer,  while  in  No.  36  is 
shown  another  whaling  ship,  beneath  which  are  four  kaiaks  loaded 
with  individuals  who  have  come  after  trade.  A  curious  illustration  is 
that  shown  in  No.  37,  in  which  quite  a  string  of  reindeer  are  attached 
to  sledges.  The  native  in  No.  38  is  apparently  driving  back  the  ani 
mals  who  are  heading  off  in  that  direction.  In  No.  39  is  the  outline  of 
a  habitation  with  the  accompanying  horizontal  rack,  from  which  meat 
or  other  food  is  shown  suspended.  The  character  in  No.  40  is,  without 
doubt,  the  outline  of  a  net,  and  resembles  in  almost  every  respect  sim 
ilar  ones  found  in  the  pictographs  made  by  the  natives  of  the  American 
coast.  In  No.  41  is  a  horizontal  line  with  five  animal  heads  protruding. 
These  would  seem  to  denote  walruses,  but  from  the  fact  of  the  projec 
tions  above  the  head  they  are  probably  intended  for  deer  who  have 
broken  through  the  ice,  or  maybe  swimming,  toward  which  the  umiaks 
are  hastening,  as  shown  above.  No.  42  represents  a  number  of  individ 
uals  with  arms  extended  and  hands  directed  toward  the  ground,  which 
resemble  very  much  some  of  the  characters  on  the  drill  bow  (plate  68, 
fig.  3. 

Since  the  above  interpretation  was  dictated,  I  have  had  the  oppor 
tunity  to  consult  Captain  E.  P.  Herendeen,  a  gentleman  thoroughly 
familiar  with  the  country  and  the  natives  of  both  sides  of  Bering 
Strait.  Upon  submitting  to  him  the  chart  for  his  examination  as  to 
the  geographic  location  referred  to,  the  following  additional  informa 
tion  was  obtained,  as  well  as  his  approval  in  the  belief  that  the  coast 
natives  [Eskimo]  were  more  likely  the  authors  of  the  record  than  the 
"Deernien"  [ChuckcheJ. 

That  part  of  the  record  marked  No,  40  comprises  the  coast  of  the 
Holy  Cross  Gulf;  and  extending  backward  to  No.  18,  which  denotes 
Plover  Bay,  are  observed  whales  and  a  whaling  ship,  denoting  a  com 
mon  occurrence  in  past  years  for  whalers  to  enter  one  of  the  numerous 
inlets,  seek  a  good  anchorage,  and  there  make  the  required  catches 
instead  of  sailing  in  the  open  sea.  Whalers  are  said  to  have  been 
common  at  almost  every  favorable  point. 

The  point  of  laud  at  No.  19  is  East  Head,  and  is  precipitous,  while  a 
small  village  is  located  near  the  entrance,  of  which  my  informant  could 
not  give  me  the  native  name.  Opposite  the  hull  of  the  vessel  is  a  long, 
narrow  black  line,  which  represents  a  sharp  spit  of  laud  actually  occur 
ring  at  that  point  in  Plover  Bay. 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  943 

At  No.  23  is  a  point  of  laud  which  is  recognized  as  Indian  Point. 
The  shore  has  a  rocky  appearance,  and  immediately  back  from  the 
surf  line  appear  some  contour  lines,  upon  which  are  the  representation 
of  scaffolds,  as  before  noted,  which  Captain  Herendeeu  says  are  caches 
of  the  natives,  while  the  houses  are  scattered  along  in  rows.  The 
irregular  area  between  the  village  and  the  ridge  of  hills  at  No.  26  is  a 
marsh.  The  hills  are  also  in  actual  existence  and  beyond  them  is  a  good 
hunting  ground,  as  indicated  by  the  artist. 

To  the  right  of  Indian  Point,  in  the  midst  of  an  inlet  at  No.  43,  is 
Arakan  Island,  formed  like  a  hump,  with  a  straight  line  on  one  side  to 
denote  the  water  line.  The  line  at  No.  44  covers  an  inhabited  stretch  of 
land,  commonly  called  the  Michigme,  and  located  on  a  bay  of  the  same 
name.  Several  habitations  are  visible,  and  a  number  of  human  forms 
are  drawn  near  to  them. 

At  the  right-hand  end  of  the  Michigme  settlement  is  an  inlet  show 
ing  three  whales,  near  each  of  which  is  a  pair  of  human  beings,  one 
person  in  the  act  of  handing  to  the  other  some  object,  the  import  being- 
trade,  the  purpose  of  the  visit  of  the  natives. 

The  lower  or  opposite  shore,  marked  Nos.  30,  31,  34,  and  36,  Captain 
Herendeen  is  not  positive  whether  it  may  represent  a  continuation  of 
the  Asiatic  shore  or  St.  Lawrence  Island,  the  locality  where  the  Asiatic 
coast  natives  obtain  oil  and  various  articles  with  which  their  country 
is  not  well  stocked,  returning  therefor  wooden  vessels,  poles  for  tents, 
frames  for  boats,  etc.,  which  are  primarily  obtained  from  the  Cliuckche, 
as  the  latter  come  from  the  inland  regions  by  means  of  sledges,  as  shown 
at  No.  17. 

From  the  general  appearance  of  the  drawings,  the  continuity  of  shore 
lines,  with  the  exception  of  a  small  and  apparently  insignificant  break 
at  No.  45,  would  indicate  that  the  Asiatic  side  alone  was  intended 
to  be  shown,  and  not  the  opposite  American  shore.  The  statement, 
too,  that  the  record  is  a  "year's  record"  should  also  be  taken  into 
consideration. 

At  No.  46  is  an  indentation  probably  intended  to  represent  St.  Law 
rence  Bay.  There  is  quite  a  herd  of  seals  indicated,  clearly  denoting 
the  presence  there  in  great  numbers  of  that  animal.  Habitations  of 
various  kinds  line  the  shore  line,  to  indicate  a  settlement  of  natives.  At 
No.  47  is  shown  a  harpooned  walrus,  followed  by  a  native  in  a  kaiak, 
who  has  his  arm  raised  as  if  about  to  cast  a  second  weapon.  No.  48 
has  already  been  alluded  to  as  a  marsh,  the  short  lines  being  indica 
tive  of  the  sedges  growing  at  that  locality.  No.  49  is  a  skin  tent,  near 
which  is  lying  upon  the  ground  what  appears  to  be  intended  for  a 
sledge.  The  latter  is  in  imitation  of  the  Chuckche  type,  as  may  be 
observed  by  comparing  those  at  the  opposite  side  of  the  chart  in  con 
nection  with  the  sledges  to  which  reindeer  are  hitched,  near  No.  39. 

The  general  resemblance  of  these  teams  of  the  Chukche  is,  in  gen 
eral,  very  much  like  those  of  the  Samoyeds,  and  I  can  not  refrain  from 


944  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

introducing  herewith  as  plate  82 l  an  illustration  published  by  Mr. 
Jackson  in  his  work  on  "The  Great  Frozen  Land,"  which  illustration 
is  a  reproduction  from  a  photograph.  The  middle,  covered  sledge,  is 
one  used  by  women,  the  remaining  one  being  for  goods  and  men. 

No.  50  denotes  a  village,  the  tent  poles  protruding  from  the  tops  of 
the  ledges.  Along  the  shore  are  more  habitations,  and  two  umiaks  filled 
with  hunters  are  shown  in  the  water.  At  No.  51  are  two  natives 
making  an  attack  upon  a  bear.  One  of  the  hunters  has  a  spear,  while 
the  other  is  armed  with  bow  and  arrow.  A  third  hunter,  a  little  to  the 
right,  has  Shot  his  arrow  into  the  animal,  and  has  extended  his  open 
hand  outward,  to  indicate  to  the  others  that  he  has  "cast  a  weapon," 
in  imitation  of  the  custom  of  whalers  when  they  elevate  the  paddle, 
or  spread  hands,  to  inform  their  companions  of  their  action  and  to 
request  concentration  of  boats  to  secure  the  game. 

At  No.  52  is  a  group  of  six  men.  Two  are  going  forward  with  a  spear, 
while  the  two  in  the  middle  are  making  gestures.  The  pair  at  the  right 
are  in  close  embrace,  apparently  in  combat.  No.  53  illustrates  the 
method  of  spearing  seal  through  the  ice,  very  similar  to  that  shown  at 
No.  31.  The  small  ring,  however,  denotes  the  breathing  hole  made  by 
the  seal,  this  being  absent  in  the  latter  instance.  Nos.  51,  55,  and  56 
are  obscene  figures,  and  not  worthy  of  reproduction. 

Various  illustrations  of  Olmckche  art  are  given  by  Mr.  Hans  Hilde- 
brand,2  and  in  every  instance  the  products  resemble  the  figures  on 
plate  10,  and  appear  as  if  they  had  been  drawn  with  a  pencil  or 
sharply-pointed  brush.  The  general  type  of  the  portrayals  are  like  those 
of  the  Eskimo,  clearly  showing  artistic  relationship.  In  the  same  con 
nection  are  shown,  also,  a  series  of  line  drawings,  reproductions  from 
drill-bows  from  Port  Clarence,  some  of  them  being  so  like  those  in  the 
collection  of  the  National  Museum  as  to  lead  me  to  bel  eve  that  the 
originals  used  by  Mr.  Hildebrand  and  by  me  were  the  same,  or  that 
they  were  made  from  copies  or  duplicates  by  the  same  Alaskan  artist. 

On  plate  9  are  represented  six  pieces  of  decorated  bone  slabs 
obtained  from  the  southeastern  neighbors  of  the  Eskimo — the  Thlinkit 
Indians.  The  specimens  are  selected  at  random  from  a  necklace  bear 
ing  a  total  of  fifteen.  They  were  the  property  of  a  shaman  and  formed 
part  of  his  decorations,  but  whether  they  were  believed  to  possess 
mystic  or  other  virtue  is  not  known. 

The  interest  connected  with  this  lot  consists  in  the  decorations  upon 
the  pieces  of  smooth  bone.  The  ornamentation  is  typical  of  the 
Eskimo,  as  may  be  perceived  by  reference  to  numerous  illustrations 
submitted  herewith,  and  was  apparently  adopted  in  imitation  of  sim 
ilar  designs  observed  in  the  possession  of  Eskimo  shamans,  or  such  as 
may  have  been  introduced  through  the  medium  of  intertribal  traffic. 
The  trade  route  along  the  northwest  coast  has  before  been  referred  to 
as  one  of  the  most  interesting  culture  routes  of  that  part  of  the  Ameri- 


1  London:  [date  ?]  plate  opp.  p.  68. 

2De  Liigro  Naturfolkcns  Kon«*.  Stockholm,  1881. 


Report  of  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1  895.— Hoffman. 


PLATE  82. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  945 

can  continent,  but  with  an  almost  total  absence  of  evidence  to  the  con 
trary,  the  direction  of  the  movement  of  culture  and  art  designs  has 
been  in  the  opposite  direction  to  that  illustrated  by  the  present 
instance.  In  other  words,  the  Haida  and  other  influences  have  been 
pushing  steadily  northward  and  westward  amongst  and  beyond  the 
territory  of  the  Thlinkit,  and  not  from  the  latter  areas  eastward  and 
southward. 

By  reference  to  the  illustrations  in  the  plate,  it  will  be  observed  that 
the  concentric  circles,  apparently  made  in  the  same  manner  on  all  the 
pieces  where  present,  were  made  by  pieces  of  metal  filed  to  a  V-shaped 
form,  one  apex  or  side  being  left  a  little  longer,  perhaps,  than  the  other, 
so  as  to  more  easily  serve  as  the  center  pivot.  The  rings  are  of  differ 
ent  width  from  the  outer,  showing  that  they  were  not  made  by  an 
instrument  with  movable  arms,  in  imitation  of  a  pair  of  dividers.  Fur 
thermore,  the  diameters  are  not  exactly  of  the  regulation  size,  as  would 
be  found  in  a  common  manufactured  bit,  but  the  outer  rings  are  less 
than  one-fourth  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  being  almost  seven-thirty- 
seconds — an  unusual  size.  The  inner  circles  are  scant  three-sixteenths 
of  an  inch  in  diameter,  clearly  indicating  that  the  tools  were  of  aborig 
inal  workmanship,  though  made  of  imported  metals  as  well  as 
imported  instruments. 

The  arrangement  of  circles  as  in  fig.  3,  plate  9,  is  also  in  imitation  of 
Aleutian  and  other  Eskimo  patterns,  and  foreign  to  the  ornamentation  of 
the  Thlinkit,  as  far,  at  least,  as  illustrated  in  the  products  of  that  tribe 
now  in  the  collection  of  the  National  Museum.  Reference  has  already 
been  made  to  a  like  arrangement  of  circles  on  some  of  the  ancient 
British  coins,  referred  to  at  page  819,  and  a  closely  resembling  example 
of  which  is  shown  in  plate  47,  fig.  1. 

The  strong  resemblance  between  some  of  the  carvings  of  the  Eskimo 
and  those  of  the  cave  dwellers  of  the  Dordogne  has  been  referred  to 
by  various  authors. 

Mr.  Edward  T.  Stevens  remarks  that  "It  is  singular  that,  except  at 
La  Madelaine,  none  of  the  bones  appear  to  have  been  gnawed  by 
beasts  of  prey."  The  cave  people  are  believed,  therefore,  to  have 
occupied  the  caves  permanently  or  to  have  closed  them  when  deserted, 
and  to  have  excluded  carnivorous  animals  which  might  otherwise  have 
been  attracted  by  the  accumulation  of  bones. 

Doctor  A.  B.  Meyer,  director  of  the  Eoyal  Zoological  and  Anthropo 
logical  Museum  in  Dresden,  has  recently  published  some  magnificent 
folio  volumes  on  the  ethnographic  materials  from  various  localities — 
from  the  Philippines,  New  Guinea,  etc. — and  in  Volume  ix  of  the  series 
presents  some  illustrations  of  combs  bearing  decorations,  which  would 
at  a  cursory  glance  suggest  the  type  from  which  the  Eskimo  orna 
mentation  was  obtained  for  the  comb  shown  in  plate  32,  fig.  4.  The 
several  specimens  of  workmanship  of  the  Nigritos  above  mentioned 
may  be  found  by  reference  to  Doctor  Meyer's  plate  2,  figs.  1,  2,  and  3. 
NAT  MUS  95 60 


946  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895 

Plate  65,  fig.  4,  is  a  thread  case  of  reindeer  horn,  marked  as  from 
"Ooglaamie."  This  is  interesting,  because  of  the  peculiar  portraiture 
of  reindeer  horns,  in  which  these  projections  are  exceedingly  tall  and 
straight,  as  compared  with  the  art  work  of  other  localities.  The  most 
interesting  figure  connected  with  this  is  the  representation  of  a  kaiak, 
immediately  above  which  are  two  nucleated  rings,  exactly  like  those 
shown  in  the  petro glyphs  from  Sweden. 

Plate  7,  fig.  1,  represents  an  arrow  straightener  made  of  reindeer 
antler.  The  specimen  measures  OJ  inches  in  length,  and  is  surmounted 
by  the  outlines  of  a  reindeer's  head,  the  small  knobs  only  indicating 
the  rudimentary  horns.  The  eyes  are  made  by  the  insertion  in  small 
perforations  of  three  glass  beads.  The  nostrils  and  mouth,  as  well  as 
the  ears  and  the  external  meatus,  are  all  very  true  to  nature. 

An  incised  line  extends  along  the  spine  from  the  occiput  to  within  an 
inch  of  the  rear  end,  and  two  incised  lines,  one  on  either  side  of  the 
neck,  run  parallel  therewith. 

This  specimen  is  very  interesting  as  comparing  very  favorably  with 
some  of  the  specimens  figured  by  Messrs.  Lartet  and  Christy,1  which 
are  found  in  the  cases  of  Dordogne. 

An  exceedingly  interesting  arrow  straightener  of  walrus  ivory  is 
shown  on  the  same  plate,  fig.  2.  The  reindeer,  which  is  portrayed  in 
outline,  has  the  head  thrown  forward  as  in  rapid  running.  The  legs 
are  gathered  up  close  to  the  body;  the  ears  are  indicated  by  mere 
perforations,  while  the  eyes  were  originally  inlaid,  one  still  retaining  a 
plug  of  dark  wood.  The  perforation  in  the  body — for  the  insertion  of 
spear  or  arrow  points — was  made  by  sawing  the  spaces  between  the 
perforations  made  by  drilling,  the  saw  marks  yet  remaining  where  the 
angles  were  formed. 

The  perforations  in  the  arrow  straighteners  in  the  Museum  collection 
are  all  at  an  angle  of  about  20°  to  40°,  so  as  to  permit  the  inserted 
piece  to  extend  backward  toward  the  longest  projection  of  the  straight 
ener,  in  order  that  a  sort  of  V  shape  is  formed,  the  two  ends  being  thus 
more  readily  grasped  by  the  one  hand,  so  as  to  produce  stronger  and 
more  steady  pressure  than  if  both  hands  were  used. 

A  number  of  deeply  incised  and  uncolored  figures  of  reindeer  are 
engraved  over  the  body  of  the  utensil,  and  but  a  single  character 
diifering  therefrom  appears  to  be  that  of  a  shaman,  shown  near  the 
point  of  the  perforation,  his  two  arms  being  extended  and  his  head 
decorated  with  horn-like  projections,  as  if  the  result  of  a  ceremonial 
mask. 

The  third  specimen  (fig.  3  on  plate  7)  also  represents  an  arrow 
straightener,  the  head  end  of  which  ends  in  the  outline  of  the  fore 
quarters  of  a  bear.  The  eyes  are  made  of  two  blue  beads  inserted  in 
perforations,  and  the  teeth  are  indicated  by  incisions  with  the  graver. 
The  fore  legs  are  made  to  extend  downward  over  the  front  of  the  per- 


Reliquiae  Aquitaniciu  London,  1875,  PI.  B.  XIX,  XX. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  947 

foration  so  as  to  give  additional  strength  to  that  part.  The  specimen 
is  slightly  decorated  on  one  side  with  the  outline  of  a  human  being 
with  arms  extended,  a  line  extending  from  the  head  along  the  middle 
toward  the  perforation;  on  one  side  is  the  drawing  of  a  wolf,  while 
beneath  it  is  a  flintlock  gun.  Upon  the  other  side  is  the  representa 
tion  of  a  reindeer,  with  two  smaller  animal  forms  incised,  while  beneath 
the  former  is  the  rude  portrayal  of  another  flintlock  gun,  the  flint  being 
indicated  by  an  unusually  strong  line  projecting  from  the  raised  hammer. 

The  general  outline  of  these  animal  forms  appears  at  a  first  and 
careless  glance  to  be  very  like  the  examples  figured  by  Messrs.  Lartet 
and  Christy,  but  upon  close  inspection  the  difference  between  the  sev 
eral  types  becomes  more  and  more  apparent.  As  before  intimated, 
if  the  cave  dwellers  of  France  were  in  such  an  intellectual  status  as  is 
usually  claimed,  the  artistic  work  as  evidenced  in  their  etchings  on 
horn  appears  vastly  superior  to  that  of  many  peoples  far  in  advance  in 
civilization. 

Further  discussion  on  this  subject  is  not  deemed  appropriate  in  this 
connection,  but  will  be  renewed  in  a  paper  the  purport  of  which  is 
intended  to  be  an  examination  of  the  relative  merits  of  the  art  work 
of  primitive  peoples. 

Similarities  of  design  with  divers  significations,  and  dissimilar  pat 
terns  with  like  purport,  occur  in  all  parts  of  the  habitable  globe,  and, 
as  before  intimated,  the  concept  giving  origin  to  such  designs  should  in 
all  instances,  where  practicable,  be  sought  for  among  the  peoples  who 
are  the  authors  thereof.  In  like  manner,  it  is  of  the  highest  importance 
to  obtain  the  native  artists'  interpretation  of  any  obscure  or  conven 
tionalized  characters,  as  such  are  often  apparently  intelligible  from 
their  resemblance  to  characters  of  known  signification,  whereas  the 
result  of  inquiry  may  sometimes  be  rather  startling,  if  not  open  to  the 
suspicion  that  the  uncultured  artist  is  himself  unconsciously  m  error. 

APPENDIX. 

The  following  list  of  gesture  signs  were  collected  during  the  summer 
of  1882  in  San  Francisco,  California,  where  an  intelligent  Kadiak  half- 
caste  was  met  with  under  circumstances  which  enabled  him  to  devote  his 
exclusive  attention  to  the  subject  of  the  transmission  of  thought  with 
out  the  use  of  oral  speech.  This  person  was  the  offspring  of  a  Russian 
father  and  a  Kadiak  mother,  and  during  his  youth  had  almost  con 
stantly  accompanied  his  father  in  trading  and  collecting  peltries  for 
the  Eussian  Fur  Company.  After  the  transfer  to  the  United  States  of 
Alaska,  this  man,  Vladimir  Naomoff,  continued  in  the  service  of  the 
Alaska  Commercial  Company,  of  San  Francisco,  California,  visiting  the 
various  settlements  of  natives  on  the  mainland  and  inland  to  the  Cop 
per  River  Indians  [Kutchin  or  Kenai],  a  tribe  of  the  Athabaskan  lin 
guistic  family.  In  this  manner  Naomoff  became  thoroughly  familiar 
not  only  with  Kussian,  English,  and  the  Kadiak  dialect,  but  with  half 


948  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

a  dozen  <?r  more  other  native  dialects,  which  enabled  him  to  observe 
and  acquire  the  various  resources  which  many  of  the  natives,  meeting 
as  strangers,  would  be  compelled  to  employ  to  enable  them  to  commu 
nicate  in  ordinary  contact,  and  also  in  the  representation  of  graphic 
methods  whereby  to  communicate  to  owners  of  houses  of  a  visit  and 
the  import  thereof. 

The  collection  of  gestures  was  made,  together  with  many  others,  from 
most  of  the  Indian  tribes  west  of  the  Mississippi  River,  and  deposited 
in  the  library  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  through  the  courtesy  of 
which  I  am  enabled  to  give  them  publicity  in  this  connection. 

GESTURE   SIGNS   OF   ESKIMO. 

BAD. 

Place  the  flat  hands,  with  the  palms  forward,  in  front  of  their  respective  shoulders, 
the  fingers  extended  and  naturally  separated,  then  throw  them  forward  and  back 
ward  alternately,  the  face  at  the  same  time  assuming  an  expression  of  disgust. 
BEAVER. 

Make  the  sign  for  tree ;  then  snap  the  teeth  and  hook  the  curved  index  horizontally 
inward  toward  the  face  from  a  position  in  front  and  to  the  right  of  it;  then  extend 
the  left  fist  edgewise  to  the  front  and  left  of  the  body,  the  right  extended  toward 
the  same  direction  though  on  a  higher  plane;  then  pull  them  simultaneously  back 
toward  the  right,  in  a  jerky  or  tugging  manner.  Conception :  Tree,  cutting  down  with 
the  teeth,  and  dragging  away  log. 
BEAVER  (abbreviated  sign). 

Indicate  the  canines  by  sticking  the  forefingers  upward  and  forward  from  the 
corners  of  the  mouth ;  then  snap  the  teeth  several  times  and  hook  the  curved  index 
horizontally  toward  the  mouth  from  a  position  to  the  front  and  right  of  it. 
BEAR,  BLACK. 

Pass  the  flat  hands  alternately  upward  and  forward  from  the  face,  pulling  them 
back  again  more  flexed,  as  in  imitation  of  his  climbing  a  tree. 

BIG.     (Broad.) 

Pass  both  flat  hands,  palms  downward,  from  a  position  before  the  body  outward 
toward  their  respective  sides. 
BOAT. 

Place  the  clinched  hands  at  the  left  side  of  the  body,  the  right  higher  than  the 
left,  and  pass  both  simultaneously  horizontally  backwards  toward  the  left  hip. 
Conception:  Using  the  paddle. 

BOIL,  To. 

Snap  the  fingers  upward  from  the  inner  surface  of  the  tips  of  the  thumb;  at  the 
same  time  move  them  upward  and  downward  in  small  circles  about  2  feet  from 
the  ground.     Conception:   The  bubbling  of  boiling  water. 
BORN,  To  BE. 

Place  the  extended  fore  and  second  fingers  (or  all  the  fingers)  against  either  side 
of  the  epigastrium  and  throw  them  simultaneously  downward  along  the  body,  out 
ward  and  forward  in  a  curve.     Conception:  Pelvic  curve  followed  by  head  of  child  in 
birth. 
BROTHER. 

Make  the  sign  for  mustache  in  imitation  of  pulling  the  hair  upon  the  upper  lip 
forward,  followed  by  the  sign  for  man  by  lifting  the  hand,  and  then  the  sign  for 
mine,  clinching  the  fist  and  thrusting  it  forcibly  forward  edgewise  toward  the 
ground  toward  the  lower  part  of  the  breast. 


GRAPHIC  ART  OP  THE  ESKIMOS.  949 

BURY,  To.  (Buried.) 

This  sign  made  to  follow  that  for  mail,  or  a  man  dead  or  killed. 

Place  l>oth  hands  nearly  at  arm's  length  before  the  body,  palms  down,  about  8  or 
10  inches  apart,  and  18  inches  or  2  feet  from  the  ground;  then  draw  them  backward 
simultaneously  toward  the  body,  slowly. 
CHIEF,  HEAD. 

Make  the  sign  for  man  (mustache) ;  then  place  the  flat  right  hand  before  the  face, 
at  some  distance,  fingers  extended  and  separated  and  pointing  upward,  and  touch 
the  tip  of  the  middle  finger  with  the  extended  forefinger  of  the  left  hand.     Concep 
tion  :  The  most  elevated  of  the  whole  number. 
CHIEF'S  WIFE,  HEAD 

Make  the  sign  for  chief,  head  (mountain  natives),"  then  place  the  flat  hand  at  the 
height  of  the  face,  palm  inward,  fingers  extended  and  separated;  then  flex  the  thumb 
at  the  first  joint  and  lay  the  tip  of  the  index  upon  it  just  back  of  the  thumb  nail; 
conclude  by  passing  the  right  hand  downward  over  the  right  side  of  the  head  and 
outward  toward  the  shoulder — hair,  woman. 
COLD. 

Imitate  shivering  as  from  cold.     Sometimes  the  clinched  hands  are  brought  for 
ward  in  front  of  the  breast,  as  is  involuntarily  done  when  suffering  from  the  cold. 
COME,  To.     (Infin.)     CAME. 

Bring  the  hand  from  one  side  of  the  body  inward,  toward  the  breast,  the  fingers 
pointing  upward  and  nearly  collected  to  a  point. 
CREEK. 

With  the  palms  facing  and  about  10  or  12  inches  apart,  pass  them  edgewise  for 
ward  to  arm's  length,  then  add  the  sign  for  drink.     Course  and  width  of  water. 
DAUGHTER. 

Make  the  sign  for  woman  (hair) ;  designate  height,  and  mine. 
DAY. 

Throw  the  head  slightly  upward  with  the  eyebrows  elevated,  and  throw  the  hands 
upward  and  outward  with  the  fingers  extended  and  separated,  palms  inward  and 
slightly  to  the  front. 
DAY. 

Hands  passed  upward  and  outward  toward  their  respective  side  in  a  curve  from 
near  the  front  of  the  breast,  and  terminating  at  a  point  as  high  as  the  top  of  the 
head,  but  on  either  side  of  it.  The  eyes  follow  an  upward  direction  at  the  same  time. 
DAY. 

Same  sign  as  for  sun. 
DEAD. 

Cross  the  forearms  upon  the  breast  and  throw  the  iead  back,  with  the  eyes  closed. 

This  gesture  is  also  made  by  the  natives  of  the  interior,  who  are  unacquainted 
with  the  customs  or  religion  of  the  Russians. 
DEER.— BUCK. 

Place  the  hands  with  the  fingers  and  thumbs  extended   and  separated,  palms 
forward,  above  and  on  either  side  of  the  head.     Conception:  Horns. 
DEER. — DOE. 

With  the  hands  scoop-shaped,  fingers  spread  and  extended,  imitating  running, 
with  the  hands  thrown  downward,  the  movement  being  alternately  with  right  and 
left. 
DEITY.     (Great  Spirit.) 

The  same  sign  as  given  by  the  coast  Indians  by  pointing  upward  toward  the 
zenith,  and  then  imitate  the  cross  by  passing  the  fingers  of  the  right  hand  from  the 
forehead  to  the  breast,  and  then  from  the  left  shoulder  to  the  right,  instead  of  the 
right  to  the  left. 


950  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

DOCTOR.     (Physician.) 

Make  the  sign  for  maw  ;  indicate  the  outlines  of  a  square  by  passing  the  right  hand 
edgewise  to  the  right,  the  left  from  the  right  side  toward  the  left,  though  leaving 
the  lines  about  a  foot  apart ;  then  pass  both  hands  simultaneously  from  the  front  line 
backward  toward  the  body — outlines  of  a  box;  make  a  dotting  motion  downward 
with  the  bent  fingers,  pretend  to  grind  something  in  a  small  vessel,  then  point  to 
the  south — settlements  of  the  States — and  conclude  by  making  the  sign  for  drink. 
Conception:  Man,  box,  contents,  grinding  in  mortar,  location,  drink. 

DOG. 
Represented  by  imitating  the  sound  of  barking — wu'-wii'. 

DOG  SLEDGE,  TRAVELING  BY. 

Make  the  sign  for  dog  by  indicating  the  cries,  both  hands  with  fingers  extended 
being  held  to  the  sides  of  the  head;  at  the  same  time  lean  the  body  forward,  bend 
the  arms  at  the  elbows,  and  throw  the  flat  right  hand  horizontally  forward  as  high 
as  the  shoulder,  and  when  nearly  at  arm's  length  pass  it  downward  in  a  curve,  and 
straight  backward  on  a  level  with  the  hip  and  to  that  point.  As  the  right  hand  is 
moved  back,  the  left  is  thrown  similarly  forward.  Both  are  repeatedly  moved  to 
represent  crawling  over  the  surface. 

DRIVE  FORWARD,  URGE,  To. 

Close  the  hands  naturally,  place  them  before  the  lower  part  of  the  breast,  then 
throw  them  simultaneously  downward  and  forward  and  extend  the  lingers  as  the 
motion  progresses. 

EAT,  To. 

Approximate  the  tips  of  the  fingers  and  thumb  to  a  point,  place  them  near  the 
mouth,  and  move  backward  and  forward,  from  the  mouth  quickly,  but  only  for  a 
short  distance. 

FATHER. 

Place  both  hands  (slightly  curved,  with  the  tips  of  the  fingers  somewhat  approxi 
mated  toward  a  point)  a  short  distance  from  the  cheeks,  pointing  downward  toward 
the  chin  and  nearly  touching  palms  toward  the  point  of  the  chin. 

FATHER. 

Make  the  preceding  sign,  to  which  add  those  for  man — by  elevating  the  hand — and 
for  mine. 

FATHER'S  BROTHER. 

Make  the  sign  for  father,  i.  e.,  by  indicating  the  beard  and  making  the  sign  for 
gesture,  after  which  height  or  tallness  is  indicated  by  placing  the  hand  forward  in 
front  of  the  body,  when  the  right  hand  is  placed  vertically  in  front  or  to  the  side  of 
the  head  to  indicate  man;  this  gesture  is  then  followed  by  mustache.  Conception: 
The  beard  and  mustache  upon  the  fall  man  belonging  to  the  speaker. 

FATHER'S  SISTER. 

Make  the  sign  for  father,  as  before,  and  his,  by  throwing  the  thumb  only  extended 
outward  a  little  to  the  right;  then  for  young  woman,  which  is  indicated  by  stroking 
the  side  of  the  head,  downward,  as  to  denote  long  hair,  and  then  pinching  the  lobe 
of  the  ear  to  designate  earrings. 

FIGHT,  To. 

.  Close  the  hands,  leaving  the  extended  thumbs  lying  along  over  the  flex  forefingers ; 
then  pass  both  hands  in  irregular  movements,  forward,  downward,  and  backward 
again,  quickly,  as  if  boxing. 

FISH. 

Hold  the  right  hand  edgewise  before  the  right  side  of  the  waist,  fingers  directed 
to  the  front,  then  pass  it  forward  and  a  little  toward  the  left,  moving  it  in  a  wav 
ing  manner  from  side  to  side. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  951 

GlVK,  T<)    ANOTHER. 

Place  the  thumb  upon  the  inner  surface  of  the  index,  fingers  extended  and  joined, 
palm  up,  and  pass  the  hand  outward  to  one  side,  as  if  giving  a  small  object  held  by 
the  thumb  and  index. 
GIVE,  To  ME. 

Place  the  hand  with  the  palm  up,  lingers  extended  and  joined,  about  2  feet  before 
the  body;  then,  as  it  is  brought  in  toward  the  breast,  curve  the  hand  slightly,  placing 
the  thumb  against  the  index  as  if  grasping  some  object  which  had  beeu  given. 
GIVE,  To,  TO  ANOTHER.     (Granting  a  request.) 

Place  the  tips  of  the  fingers  against  the  edge  of  the  thumb,  thus  closing  the  hand 
naturally,  and  pass  it  from  near  the  side  of  the  breast  in  a  curve  outward  and  down 
ward  toward  the  ground,  as  if  laying  a  gift  at  the  feet  of  the  supplicant. 

GOOD. 

Place  the  hands  with  the  palrn  downward  before  their  respective  sides  of  the 
breast  and  as  high  as  the  shoulders,  the  lingers  naturally  separated,  extended,  and 
slightly  curved ;  then  pass  them  rapidly  and  alternately  toward  the  top  of  the  breast, 
at  the  same  time  assuming  a  pleased  countenance  with  the  brows  arched. 

GRASS. 

Place  the  backs  of  the  hands  near  the  earth,  the  fingers  separated  and  curved 
upward;  then,  as  the  hands  are  thrust  up  and  down  quickly,  they  also  move  from 
side  to  side  or  place  to  place.     Conceptions:  Sprouting,  short  vegetation,  and  the  area 
thus  covered. 
GRAVE,  CHILD'S. 

(1)  Place  the  flat  hands  edgewise  before  the  body  as  high  as  the  shoulders,  then 
pass  them  downward  toward  the  ground  for  a  distance  of  about  1 5  inches ;  then  place 
the  right  hand  edgewise  at  arm's  length  before  the  breast,  pointing  toward  the  left, 
the  left  between  it  and  the  breast,  edgewise  and  pointing  toward  the  right,  then 
pass  both  downward  as  far  as  before;  (2)  then  hold  the  separated  and  extended 
index  and  second  fingers  of  the  right  hand  before  the  face  and  push  it  upward  a 
short  distance;  (3)  make  the  sign  for  ivrite;  (4)  place  the  flat  hand  or  hands  palm 
down,  pointing  forward  about  18  inches  from  the  ground ;  then  conclude  with  the 
(5)  sign  for  dead. 
HABITATION.  (Medicine  Lodge.  Kacigi.) 

Indicate  a  large  horizontal  square  (exaggerated  sign  for  box) ;  then  make  the  sign 
for  roof  (high)  by  passing  the  flat  hands,  from  a  point  above  and  in  front  of  the  head, 
outward  toward  their  respective  sides  and  as  far  down  as  the  waist,  finger  tips 
pointing  to  place  of  starting;  make  the  sign  for  man  (mustache),  indicate  one  by 
elevating  the  index,  then  raise  the  second  finger — two;  then  the  third — three;  and 
finally  the  little  one — four;  then  make  the  sign  for  entering  a  house  by  passing  the 
right  flat  hand,  pointing,  forward  and  slightly  downward  under  the  left  flat  palm, 
forward  nearly  to  arm's  length;  then  make  the  sign  for  man  (mustache),  and  that 
for  bow,  indicate  two,  three,  four,  and  entering  the  lodge  as  before,  then  place  them  to 
four  corners  of  the  imaginary  building. 

Make  the  signs  for  shaman  (abbreviated),  four,  and  come,  by  bringing  the  curved 
though  elevated  index  from  the  front  and  right  to  before  the  breast;  then  pass  the 
right  flat  hand  horizontally  forward  under  the  left  palm  also,  to  indicate  entering  the 
Lodge. 

Indicate  a  large  horizontal  circle  with  both  hands  from  nearly  at  arm's  length 
backward  toward  the  body;  then  make  the  sign  for  man  (mustache),  and  move  the 
body  up  and  down  and  place  the  hands  to  the  front  and  sides  as  if  dancing  around 
the  circle  just  indicated. 
HOT  (weather). 

Pass  the  slightly  bent  hands,  palms  downward,  from  before  the  cheeks,  upward 
and  outward  as  far  as  the  top  of  the  head.  At  the  same  time  expel  the  breath 
several  times,  as  in  Ila!  Ha!  but  not  above  a  whisper. 


952  REPORT    OF   NATIONAL   MUSEUM,  1895. 

HUNGRY. 

1.  Make  the  sign  for  eat,  then  rub  the  hand  downward  over  the  stomach  and 
abdomen. 

2.  Make  the  sign  for  eat,  then  that  for  nothing. 
HUNT,  To  (for  work  or  game). 

With  the  palm  down  and  the  fingers  directed  forward,  pass  the  hand  rather  quickly 
from  side  to  side  at  a  distance  of  about  20  inches  before  the  face. 
HUSBAND. 

Make  the  sign  for  man  (mustache),  for  mine,  and  sleep. 
I,  ME,  MY,  MINE.     (Possession.) 

The  tips  of  the  fingers  placed  gently  to  the  middle  of  the  breast,  and  at  the  same 
time  make  a  slight  inclination  forward  of  the  head. 
KAIAK  (Baidarka). 

Place  the  closed  hands  on  a  level  with  and  about  15  inches  before  their  respective 
shoulders,  palm  or  sides  to  the  front.  Then  pass  the  left  fist  downward,  backward, 
and  outward  toward  the  left,  and  in  a  curve  continue  upward,  forward,  and  back  to 
point  of  starting,  i.  e.,  the  right  follows  the  motion  of  the  left,  maintaining  its  dis 
tance  as  in  commencement.  When  the  left  turns  np  and  back  on  its  course,  the 
right  begins  a  similar  gesture  on  its  side.  "  Represents  the  manner  of  using  the 
double-blade  oar  (or  paddle)  of  the  coast  natives/'7 
KILL,  To.  KILLED. 

Place  the  right  forearm  horizontally  forward  from  the  elbow,  flat  hand,  palm 
downward ;  the  left  flat  hand  pointing  upward  and  forward  from  the  left  side ;  then, 
as  the  right  hand  is  rotated  outward  and  the  back  down,  throw  the  left  palm 
straight  across  and  downward  over  the  right  forearm. 
KILL,  To  (with  a  gun). 

Point  the  left  forefinger  forward  at  arm's  length,  the  index  pointing  in  the  same 
direction  from  the  right  eye:  then  make  the  sign  for  to  kill,  killed. 
KILL,  To  (with  a  knife). 

Make  a  forward  and  downward  thrust  with  the  fist,  outer  edge  down,  then  con 
clude  instantly  with  the  sign  for  to  kill. 
KILL,  To  (with  a  knife). 

Thrust  the  right  closed  hand  edgewise  downward  and  toward  the  front,  quickly, 
coming  to  an  abrupt  termination  when  about  as  low  down  as  the  height  of  the 
waist. 
KILL,  To  (with  an  arrow). 

Simulate  shooting  with  an  arrow ;  then  make  the  sign  to  kill. 
LAND  OTTEH. 

The  flat  hand  edgewise  (or  the  extended  index)  in  a  curve  to  the  front — as  for 
whale,  in  direction  though  not  so  high — and  give  several  quick  whistles  as  if  call 
ing  pigeons. 
LIE.     (Falsehood.) 

Make  the  sign  for  talk;  then  throw  the  hands  outward  and  forward,  palms  down 
and  slightly  curved,  at  the  same  time  puffing  with  the  mouth — bad. 
LODGE  (Indian). 

Place  the  inner  surfaces  of  the  tips  of  the  extended  fingers  of  both  hands  together, 
the  wrists  being  only  an  inch  or  two  apart. 

Similar  to  a  common  Indian  gesture. 
LODGE  (white  man's). 

1.  Lay  the  edge  of  the  extended  index  across  the  extended  forefinger,  the  first 
joints  touching. 

2.  In  addition  to  the  preceding,  extend  the  left  thumb  and  place  on  the  extended 
index. 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  953 

3.  With  the  index  and  second  lingers  of  both  hands  extended,  place  them  together 
so  that  they  cross  about  the  first  joints,  the  right  index  above. 
MAN. 

1.  Pretend  to  catch  the  ends  of  the  mustache  with  the  hands  and  twist  them  out 
ward  from  the  face  to  right  and  left. 

2.  Pull  the  fingers  and  thumbs  over  the  sides  of  the  upper  lip  as  if  twisting  and 
pulling  outward  a  long  mustache,  then  throw  the  right  hand,  palm  forward,  before 
the  right  shoulder,  pointing  upward. 

MAN  (old). 

Place  the  finger  tips  of  the  slightly  curved  hands  together  before  the  chin,  though 
about  6  inches  from  it,  palms  toward  the  jaw,  then  pass  them  upward  toward  their 
respective  sides  of  the  head;  then  imitate  walking  with  a  staff",  by  passing  the 
closed  list  edgewise  forward  and  downward  in  a  circle  several  times. 
MANY. 

Slap  the  palms  quickly  toward  one  another  before  the  breast,  fingers  pointing 
upward  and  naturally  extended  and  separated.     Refers  to  "many-times  counted- 
fingers." 
MOON. 

Close  the  eyes  while  indicating  a  circle  with  the  hands  above  and  in  front  of  the 
head;  then  pass  the  fiat  hand,  edgewise,  out  toward  the  front  and  right  from  the 
center  of  the  breast. 
MOTHER. 

Close  the  hands,  incline  the  head  forward,  then  pass  the  hands  upward  from  the 
back  of  the  head,  forward,  and  downward  toward  the  forehead,  the  motion  corre 
sponding  to  the  curve  of  the  head,  but  the  hands  about  3  or  4  inches  from  it. 
MOTHER. 

Make  the  sign  for  woman,  and  to  be  lorn. 
MOTHER'S  BROTHER. 

Make  the  sign  mother  [i.  e.  women,  to  be  lorn,  and  mine],  then  for  tall,  by  indicating 
height  with  the  fiat  hand  palm  down;  man,  by  elevating  the  hand,  and  that  for 
mustache. 
MOTHER'S  SISTER. 

Make  the  signs  for  mother  [woman,  to  be  lorn,  and  mine']  and  young  woman;  conclude 
by  throwing  the  fist  with  the  thumb  extended  in  a  pointed  manner  a  little  to  the 
right,  indicating  hers. 

MUSKRAT. 

Curve  the  left  fingers  and  thumb  and  bring  the  tips  almost  to  a  point,  leaving  a 
slight  opening,  palm  down,  and  horizontal,  linger  tips  pointing  toward  the  right; 
then  bring  the  extended  index  pointing  from  the  left  side  directly  toward  the  left, 
in  an  upward  curve  first,  then  downward  and  forward  into  the  opening  left  at  the  tip 
of  the  left. 
NIGHT. 

Incline  the  head  toward  the  breast  with  the  eyes  closed,  and  place  the  flat  and 
slightly  bent  hands  with  the  palms  down  before  the  brows,  the  finger  tips  almost 
touching. 
No. 

Place  the  curved  hands  edgewise  with  the  backs  forward,  the  fingers  touching 
and  pointing  toward  the  breast,  then  throw  them  outward  toward  their  respective 
sides  a  short  distance,  though  rather  smartly. 
NOTHING.     (Have  nothing.) 

Throw  the  extended  hands  horizontally  forward  and  outward  toward  their  respec 
tive  sides  from  a  position  before  the  breast. 
OCEAN.  „ 

Make  the  sign  for  lig,  Iroad,  and  that  for  kaiak — indicating  double-bladed  paddle. 


954  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

PEOPLE. 

Move  the  elevated  index  with  the  palmed  surface  forward,  from  side  to  side,  before 
the  face.  "  Men  at  various  places." 

The  index  is  an  abbreviation  of  the  general  sign  for  won,  and  this  was  the  only 
instance  in  which  it  was  used. 
PORCUPINE. 

With  the  palms  directed  toward  and  near  the  ground,  imitate  slow  walking  by 
moving  them  alternately  forward  and  backward ;  stoop  over  to  the  front,  throw  the 
separated  lingers  backward  toward  the  hip,  then  throw  the  extended  index  violently 
outward  and  backward. 

"Imitates  slow  movement  of  the  animal,  the  spiny  covering,  and  the  direction 
of  the  spines  thrown  from  the  tail." 
PORPOISE. 

Place  the  right  hand  in  the  same  position  as  for  whale,  make  the  motion  to  the 
front  less  in  extent,  and  accompany  with  a  whistling  sound  from  the  left  corner  of 
the  mouth,  resembling  the  sound  pifi. 

RAIN. 

Place  the  flat  hands  on  a  level  with  the  face,  palms  down,  fingers  pendent,  and 
move  the  hands  alternately  up  and  down,  blowing  gently  with  the  mouth  at  the 
same  time. 

RIVER. 

Make  the  sign  as  for  creek,  the  hands  being  held  much  farther  apart,  then  pass  the 
right  hand  edgewise  forward  to  arm's  length,  in  a  serpentine  manner. 

"Course  and  width  of  water  containing  fish." 
SEA  OTTER. 

Flex  both  hands,  place  the  outer  edges  together  just  before  the  neck,  palms  toward 
the  face,  throw  the  head  back,  open  the  mouth  to  full  extent  and  imitate  the  gut 
tural  sound  of  X  or  ch  twice  or  three  times,  at  the  same  time  making  a  downward 
pull  with  the  hands. 
SETTLEMENT. 

Indicate  a  large  circle,  horizontally,  by  passing  the  hands  in  semicircle,  right  and 
left,  from  nearly  at  arm's  length  backward  to  the  breast;  then  place  the  tips  of  the 
fingers  of  both  hands  together,  leaving  the  hands  and  forearms  leaning  outward 
and  downward  to  their  respective  sides,  the  distance  between  the  elbows  being  about 
24  inches. 

The  large-sized  roof  house  indicates  plurality  in  this  instance. 
SHAMAN  (complete  sign). 

Make  the  sign  for  grass,  herbs,  then  pull  it  from  the  ground  by  grasping  forward 
with  one  hand,  closing  it  and  pulling  it  toward  the  body;  then  the  sign  for  to  boil, 
add  the  sign  for  give,  and  for  drink,  and  conclude  with  that  for  man — mustache. 
Conception:  The  man  who  boils  herbs  and  gives  the  liquid  to  drink. 
SHAMAN.     (Sorcerer,  conjurer.) 

Shake  the  hands,  with  the  fingers  spread,  violently  on  either  side  of  the  head, 
imitate  the  cawing  of  a  crow  (or  the  barking  of  a  dog)  with  the  mouth,  and  flap  the 
hands  downward  before  the  shoulders,  then  strike  upward  on  either  side  of  the  face 
and  forward,  and  with  the  scoop-shaped  hand  pretend  to  catch  something  in  the  air, 
and  shake  the  hands  thus  placed,  upward  and  downward,  several  times. 

NOTE. — "The  bird  spirits  are  good,  the  animal,  bad  ones." 
SHAMAN  (common,  abreviated  sign). 

Throw  the  hand  upward  from  either  side  of  the  head  [the  upper  arms  horizontal] 
and  wave  the  hands,  with  fingers  extended  and  separated  around  in  short  circles, 
horizontally. 

SlIAMANKSS. 

Make  tb«  sign  for  woman  and  that  for  shaman. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  955 

SICK. 

1.  Place  the  flat  right  hand  over  the  left  breast,  and  the  left  over  the  right  side 
below  the  right  forearm ;  at  the  same  time  throw  the  head  to  one  side,  with  eyes 
closed,  and  breathe  heavily — uttering  slight  moans,  if  illness  be  extreme. 

2.  Throw  the  head  and  body  to  one  side,  breathe  heavily,  and  lay  the  right  arm 
across  the  breast  with  the  hand  over  the  left  breast,  and  lay  the  left  hand  across 
below  the  right,  so  that  the  left  hand  touches  the  right  forearm  near  the  elbow, 
"  internal  suffering." 

Cuts  and  fractures  are  indicated  pantomimically,  after  which  the  above  sign  is 
made,  to  illustrate  specifically  the  nature  of  the  sickness. 
SISTER. 

Make  the  signs  for  young  woman  and  mine. 
SLEEP. 

Bring  the  palm  of  the  flat  right  hand  toward  the  head,  arid  incline  the  head  to  the 
right  at  the  same  time,  with  the  eyes  closed.  Sometimes  the  palm  touches  the  ear. 
SNOW. 

Make  the  sign  for  rain;  then  indicate  depth  with  the  flat  right  hand.     This  is  not 
accompanied  by  blowing  round,  as  the  gesture  for  rain. 
SON. 

Indicate  height  with  the  flat  right  hand,  then  make  the  sign  for  mine. 
STOVE,  NATIVE. 

Place  the  flat  hands  edgewise  above  and  in  front  of  their  respective  shoulders, 
about  20  inches  apart,  then  pass  them  earthward  as  far  as  the  hips ;  then  pass  the 
flat  right  hand,  palm  down,  from  the  left  side  to  the  right  as  high  as  the  top  of  the 
head,  the  left  hand  at  the  same  time  moving  similarly  from  right  to  left  and  about 
10  inches  below  the  right.  Then  thrust  the  curved  index  several  times  toward  the 
partially  opened  mouth.  "  Form  of  house— on  poles  and  oblong — and  sign  for  eat — 
food."  Literally  food  house. 
SUMMER  SHELTER,  TEMPORARY. 

Place  the  separated  and  extended  fingers  of  one  hand  against  those  of  the  other,  the 
wrists  about  8  inches  apart,  then  draw  the  hands  downward  and  outward  a  short 
distance  to  their  respective  sides;  then  pass  the  flat  hands  from  a  position  in  front 
of  the  face,  and  over  the  spot  indicating  the  top  of  the  roof  in  the  preceding  gesture, 
outward  and  downward  to  their  respective  sides ;  indicating  first  an  angular  roof  of 
sticks;  second,  covering  of  skins  giving  it  rotundity. 
SUN. 

Place  the  hands,  with  extended  fingers  upward  at  arm's  length  before  the  head  at 
an  angle  of  about  70° ;  then  pass  them  outward,  downward,  and  inward,  indicating  a 
circle  of  about  12  inches  in  diameter;  then  throw  the  extended  and  separated  fingers 
upward  and  outward  from  the  upper  periphery  of  the  imaginary  circle,  with  palms 
to  the  front — rays  of  light.  "  Radiating  sun/7  "light." 
TALK,  To ;  TALKED. 

Place  the  tips  of  the  index,  second  finger,  and  thumb  together;  then  as  they  are 
moved  forward  a  few  times  from  the  same  point  at  a  distance  of  about  6  inches  before 
the  mouth,  open  them  slightly  as  if  letting  fly  that  which  had  been  held  by  them. 
TIME,  AGO.     (Past  time.) 

Pass  the  upright  flat  left  hand,  back  first  outward  toward  the  left,  throwing  the 
head  slightly  in  the  same  direction. 
TOBACCO  (Coast  sign). 

Indicate  a  small  box  by  passing  the  flat  right  hand  edgewise  to  the  right  arm,  the 
left  toward  the  left,  leaving  a  space  between  them  of  6  inches;  then  pass  both  simul 
taneously  from  front  to  back — same  distance  between  palms ;  then  rub  the  approx 
imated  fingertips  into  the  left  palm  and  put  left-hand  fingers  into  the  mouth,  as  if 
poking  in  a  "quid  of  tobacco." 

"Taking  tobacco  from  a  box."  The  coast  natives  carry  tobacco  in  small  wooden 
or  other  boxes. 


956  REPORT   OF   NATIONAL   MUSEUM,  1895. 

TOBACCO  (gesture  as  made  by  the  Mountain  or  Kenai  Indians). 

Indicate  a  circle  on  the  ground  by  passing  both  hands  from  a  common  point,  out 
ward,  backward,  and  inward,  of  a  diameter  of  about  10  inches,  then  make  the  sign 
for  fire;  then  place  the  tips  of  the  fingers  of  the  right  hand  into  the  palm  of  the 
left,  pretend  to  pick  up  ashes  from  the  indicated  fireplace,  and  mix  with  contents  of 
left  hand;  then  take  the  " mixed  preparation"  and  place  into  the  cheek,  so  as  to 
push  it  out  with  the  fingers. 

Tobacco  quids  are  carried  behind  the  ear,  and  when  wanted  to  chew,  ashes  are 
mixed  with  them,  for  pungency,  etc. 
TO-MORROW. 

Make  the  sign  for  one,  for  sleep,  and  for  day. 

TRAP  (Marten). 

Place  the  closed  left  hand  before  the  breast,  palm  inward,  fore  and  second  lingers 
extended  and  separated,  then  introduce  the  index  at  right  angles  between  them  and 
snap  them  together.     " Represents  the  trap  used  in  the  capture  of  martens." 
TRAP  (mink  and  weasel,  or  for  those  animals). 

Place  the  flat  left  hand  before  the  body,  palm  upward,  finger  tips  directed  down 
ward;  then  place  the  wrist  of  the  flat  right  hand  upon  that  of  the  left,  the  finger 
tips  pointing  forward  and  upward,  then  slap  the  front  of  the  hands  together. 

"  Represents  the  form  and  fall  of  the  trap  used  in  the  capture  of  these  animals." 
TREE. 

Pass  the  elevated  and  extended  index  upward  before  the  face  as  high  or  higher 
than  the  top  of  the  head;  then  from  the  point  of  termination  of  the  movement  pass 
the  right  and  left  hands  upward  and  outward  to  their  respective  sides,  fingers 
extended  and  slightly  separated. 

"Stem,  and  branches." 
TRIBAL  SIGNS  (Coast  natives  generally). 

Make  the  sign  for  man  [mustache]  and  imitate  paddling  a  boat — on  one  side  only. 

"Canoe  men." 

TRIBAL  SIGNS.     (Island  people.) 

Indicate  a  large  horizontal  circle  by  drawing  the  hands  outward,  backward,  and 
inward  toward  the  breast  from  a  point  nearly  at  arm's  length ;  then  add  the  sign  for 
people. 

The  sign  for  island,  here,  is  the  same  as  the  first  part  of  the  sign  for  settlement. 
The  specific  addition  indicates  the  difference. 
TRIBAL  SIGN  (Kiate^'amut). 

Make  a  sign  for  man  [mustache],  then  indicate  a  queue  by  drawing  the  extended 
index  downward,  outward,  and  backward  from  the  upper  posterior  portion  of  the 
head. 

"Queue  men,  i.  e.,  the  men  who  wear  queues." 
TRIBAL  SIGNS  (Ko'losh)  [Kol'tsaii]. 

Make  the  sign  for  man  [mustache],  for  river,  and  for  mountain,  then  place  the 
right  closed  hand  with  the  back  forward  and  downward,  leaving  the  index  slightly 
flexed  so  as  to  point  upward. 

"Mountain-river  men." 
TRIBAL  SIGNS  (Russian). 

Place  the  right  closed  hand  with  the  palm  up  pointing  downward  and  outward  to 
the  right,  the  index  only  partly  extended  and  curved  upward — pipe  bowl;  then  push 
the  hand  forward  a  shbrt  distance— length ;  then  pretend  to  grasp  a  stick  by  placing 
the  hand  to  the  right  corner  of  the  mouth,  the  index  and  second  fingers  above,  the 
thumb  pressing  from  below — holding  pipe ;  then  give  several  vigorous  puffs. 

"The  pipe  smokers." 

NOTE. — It  is  affirmed  that  "pipes  were  not  smoked  prior  to  the  advent  of  the 
Russians." 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  957 

TRIBAL  SIGNS  (Tai'-aut)  [Aleutian]. 

Hold  the  hands  edgewise  and  about  8  inches  apart,  pointing  horizontally  forward, 
then  pass  the  hands  forward  and  gradually  to  a  point  representing  the  sharp  bow  of 
a  boat;  then  place  tha  two  fists,  palms  forward,  as  high  as  and  forward  from  the 
shoulders,  throw  both  hands  downward,  backward,  and  outward  toward  the  left, 
then  similarly  to  the  right  side,  retaining  the  relative  distance  between  the  hands 
always — manner  of  using  the  double-blade  paddle. 
TKIHAL  SIGNS  (Ti-nai'-na)  [Tenau  Kutchin]. 

Both  hands  Hat  and  edgewise,  pointing  horizontally  forward;  place  the  wrists 
together,  the  lingers  and  palms  directed  outward,  forming  an  angle  of  about  40°; 
then  pass  the  hands  forward  and  outward  and  inward  again  until  the  finger  tips 
join — outline  of  wooden  boat;  then  imitate  movement  as  if  working  single  paddle, 
as  in  the  sign  for  Kadiak. 
TitiBAL  SIGNS  (Tiai'na). 

Make  the  sign  for  man  [mustache];  then  make  the  sign  for  fire  as  high  upward, 
from  near  the  ground,  as  the  face. 

"The  men  who  have  big  fires." 

WHALE. 

Bend  the  flat  right  hand  edgewise  toward  the  ulna;  place  it  before  the  right  side 
pointing  upward  and  to  the  front,  allowing  the  thumb  to  be  erected  slightly  so  that 
the  tip  points  upward ;  then  pass  the  hand  upward,  forward,  and  downward,  describ 
ing  a  curve  with  the  convexity  above.  At  the  same  time,  accompany  the  movement 
with  a  sound  represented  by  "piu7  from  a  higher  to  a  lower  note,  embracing  about 
six  notes. 

"Movement  of  whale  and  sound." 

WIFE,  MY. 

Make  the  sign  for  woman,  earring — with  both  hands  and  ears — and  conclude  by 
making  that  for  sleep. 
WIND. 

Throw  both  palms  alternately  forward  from  the  corresponding  sides  of  the  body, 
and  blow  violently  with  the  mouth. 
WINTER. 

Place  the  flat  hands  with  spread  fingers  as  high  as  the  head  and  about  2  feet  before 
it,  finger  tips  touching,  then  pass  them  in  downward  curves  outward  toward  their 
respective  sides — form  of  hut;  then  hold  the  left  flat  hand  and  forearm  pointing 
horizontally  toward  the  right,  and  pass  the  right  hand,  palm  down,  forward,  under 
and  beyond  the  left  arm,  when  the  right  hand  again  rises  a  little.  Conception: 
Entering  by  a  deep  channel — underground. 
WOLF. 

Throw  the  right  hand  (or  both  right  and  left)  directly  forward  from  the  face,  with 
the  fingers  spread,  and  as  the  hand  reaches  arm's  length  clinch  the  thumb  and 
fingers;  at  the  same  time  open  the  mouth  to  the  fullest  extent  and  force  out  the 
breath  audibly  and  snap  the  teeth. 
WOMAN. 

Pass  the  partly  flexed  hands  from  the  top  of  the  head  downward  toward  their 
respective  shoulders.     The  hands  follow  the  outline  of  the  head  and  shoulders,  but 
do  not  touch  them.     Conception:  Longhair. 
WOMAN  (old). 

Make  the  sign  for  woman;  then  hold  the  closed  hand  before  the  face,  palm  for 
ward,  the  index  being  raised  and  bent  toward  the  front.     "Curved  and  bent  of 
body  of  an  old  person." 
YES. 

Nod  the  head  forward  until  the  chin  touches  the  breast,  once  or  twice. 


958  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

YESTERDAY. 

Make  the  sign  for  one,  for  sleep,  and  for  past  time,  by  passing  the  upright  flat  left 
hand  slowly  outward  toward  the  left,  leaning  the  head  a  little  in  the  same  direction. 
YOUNG  MAN. 

Pass  the  naturally  closed  hands  from  the  front  of  the  body  backward  around  the 
sides  of  the  waist,  then  bend  the  elbows  and  move  the  arms  as  if  running.     Con 
ception  :  Belt,  and  activity  and  vigor. 
YOUNG  WOMAN. 

Make  the  sign  for  woman;  then  gently  grasp  the  lobe  of  the  ear  with  the  thumb 
and  index  and  pass  the  hand  down  slowly  as  far  as  the  front  of  the  shoulder — 
"long  hair"  and  "earring." 

SPECIMENS  REFERRED   TO   IN   PRESENT   PAPER. 

The  specimens  selected  from  the  collections  of  the  National  Museum, 
upon  which  to  base  the  present  paper,  are  enumerated  below,  and  in 
all  instances,  where  possible,  the  National  Museum  Catalogue  number 
is  attached,  as  well  as  the  nature  of  the  specimen,  the  locality  from 
which  obtained,  and  the  name  of  the  collector.  Other  information  of 
interest  as  to  the  character  of  the  etchings  engraved  therein  is  also 
added  in  a  few  examples. 

The  list  is-  divided  into  two  general  classes,  the  former  embracing 
the  drill  bows,  bag  handles,  and  other  long  rods;  while  the  second 
comprises  all  other  inscribed  pieces,  such  as  utensils,  weapons,  orna 
ments,  toys,  and  other  undetermined  specimens. 

The  leading  word  refers  to  the  article  under  consideration,  which  is 
followed  by  the  locality  where  it  was  obtained.  The  name  of  the  col 
lector  is  next  given,  which,  in  turn,  is  followed  by  the  numbers  under 
which  it  is  placed  in  the  accession  list  of  the  National  Museum. 

The  entire  series  of  numbers,  from  first  to  last,  is  in  order  so  as  to 
facilitate  identification  by  that  means  as  well  as  the  kind  of  object 
referred  to. 

The  list  forms  but  a  small  part  of  the  collections  from  Alaska,  but  is 
sufficiently  comprehensive  for  the  present  paper. 

DRILL  BOWS  AND   BAG  HANDLES. 

DRILL  BOW.  Anderson  River.  R.  Kennicott.  2171.  Has  a  long  thong  attached. 
The  bow  is  of  ivory,  13  inches  long  and  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  height, 
being  much  heavier  and  rounded  in  form  than  others.  There  is  no  ornamentation. 

BAG  HANDLE.     Norton  .Sound.     L.  M.  Turner.     24412.     Plate  31,  fig.  2. 

BAG  HANDLE.     Norton  Sound.     L.  M.  Turner.     24417.     Plate  31,  fig.  3. 

BAG  HANDLE.     Norton  Sound.     L.  M.  Turner.     24415.     Plate  38,  fig.  1. 

BAG  HANDLE.     St.  Michaels.     L.  M.  Turner.     24425.     Plate  IS,  fig.  2. 

BAG  HANDLE.  Norton  Sound.  E.  W.  Nelson.  24427.  White  ivory  specimen  with 
characteristic  zigzag  pattern  in  parallel-line  space. 

KUNTAG  HANDLE.     St.  Michaels.     [L.  M.  Turner.  ?]     24429. 

DRILL  BOW.  Norton  Sound.  L.  M.  Turner.  24533.  An  old  stained  bow,  with  rude 
figures  representing  a  whale  being  harpooned,  with  lloat  in  the  air.  Following 
this  is  an  umiak,  and  a  native  behind  a  hillock  watching  some  reindeer.  The 
hillock  is  surmounted  by  a  tree,  though  the  ligure  resembles  smoke  issuing  from 
a  hut.  The  opposite  side  has  four  vessels,  one  with  natives,  and  a  man  near  a 
walrus,  behind  a  wolf,  next  a  reindeer,  and  before  this  another  wolf  and  a  goose. 
The  oblique  figures  at  the  end  are  ornamental. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  959 

DRILL  BOW.  Norton  Sound.  L.  M.  Turner.  24536.  Bears  upon  one  side  the  figure 
of  a  stern  wheel  steamboat,  an  illustration  of  which  is  given  in  fig.  31.  Upon 
the  reverse  a  few  reindeer,. fox,  wolf,  a  two-masted  schooner,  and  a  three-deck 
kaiak,  above  the  latter  an  outline  of  the  human  figure  with  arms  partly 
extended,  as  in  gesture  for  surprise.  The  upper  edge  or  rim  has  some  decora 
tion  consisting  of  rude  short  lines  arranged  diagonally,  though  crossing  at  right 
angles  to  one  another. 

DUILL  Bow.  Norton  Sound.  L.  M.  Turner.  24537.  An  old  bow,  having  on  one  side 
a  number  of  seals,  divided  into  two  divisions  by  eight  upright  whale  flukes. 
Rather  decorative.  Opposite  side  has  men  and  dogs. 

DRILL  Bow  OF  HORN.     St.  Michaels.     L.  M.  Turner.     24538. 

DRILL  Bow.  Norton  Sound.  L.  M.  Turner.  24539.  One  side  of  the  three  deco 
rated  faces  bears  figures  of  seals  and  walruses,  with  hunters  armed  with  bows 
and  arrows,  and  with  spear.  A  bear  also  is  shown,  while  on  the  reverse  is  a 
herd  of  reindeer  being  hunted. 

DRILL  Bow.  Norton  Sound.  L.  M.  Turner.  24543.  But  one  side  and  the  bottom 
edge  are  decorated.  The  side  bears  a  hunting  record,  three  human  figures,  at  the 
middle,  being  interested  in  the  result  of  shooting  at  some  reindeer  and  other 
animals.  At  the  left  end  is  a  kaiak,  the  occupant  of  which  is  after  a  large  bird 
and  two  walrus.  Upon  the  bottom  edge  are  four  hunters,  each  in  his  kaiak,  after 
four  whales,  three  of  which  have  been  harpooned.  The  hunters  are  represented 
as  holding  their  paddles  horizontally  above  the  head,  the  gesture  or  signal  that 
they  have  cast  the  spear  or  harpoon,  and  also  to  indicate  " assistance  wanted" 
in  so  far  that  the  animal  may  be  kept  sight  of  and  not  permitted  to  escape. 

DRILL  Bow.  St.  Michaels.  L.  M.  Turner.  24545.  This  bears  some  of  the  best 
incised  of  the  ordinary  art  work  of  this  locality. 

DRILL  Bow.  Norton  Sound.  L.  M.  Turner.  24546.  Made  of  reindeer  horn,  and 
bears  upon  the  under  surface  a  row  of  eleven  seals,  one  before  the  other,  head 
ing  toward  the  right. 

DRILL  Bow.  St.  Michaels.  L.  M.  Turner.  24548.  Made  of  reindeer,  and  bears 
two  rows  of  these  animals  divided  in  the  middle  by  three  persons — one  hunter 
and  two  attendants  making  gestures  of  attention  to  herd  and  indicating  its 
whereabouts. 

DRILL  Bow  OF  HORN.     St.  Michaels.     L.  M.  Turner.     24551. 

DRILL  Bow  OF  HORN.     St.  Michaels.     L.  M.  Turner.     24552. 

DRILL  BOW.  St.  Michaels.  L.  M.  Turner.  24553.  A  white  piece  of  ivory,  with 
record  of  a  man  smoking  while  one  hands  an  arrow  to  the  third  who  is  shooting 
a  reindeer.  Other  animals  are  also  portrayed  farther  to  the  right.  Dog  sledge 
and  native,  as  well  as  houses,  are  shown  on  next  side,  while  upon  the  third 
face  are  two  longitudinal  border  lines  with  interior  crosspieces  of  ornamenta 
tion,  denoting  the  wavy  or  zigzag  pattern.  See  also  figures  and  accompanying 
references  passim. 

DRILL  BOW.  St.  Michaels.  L.  M.  Turner.  24556.  Piece  of  four  panels,  two  of 
which  have  umiaks  with  hunters.  Opposite  side  has  zigzag  patterns  by  pairs, 
both  inclosed  between  the  usual  parallel  lateral  lines. 

DRILL  BOW.  St.  Michaels.  L.M.Turner.  24557.  Made  of  reindeer  horn;  is  orna 
mented  on  one  side  with  deeply  cut  and  uncolored  outlines  of  birds,  wolves,  deer, 
men,  and  mythic  animals,  several  appearing  like  alligators. 

DRILL  BOW.  Sledge  Island.  (?)  28021.  Although  so  marked,  the  record  in  acces 
sion  catalogue  is  not  in  accord  and  the  collector's  name  not  given,  which,  without 
doubt,  should  be  Mr.  Nelson's. 

DRILL  BOW.  Norton  Sound.  E.  W.  Nelson.  33179.  Bears  on  the  convex  surface 
some  dancers.  At  the  other  end  is  a  well-drawn  umiak,  from  which  an  animal 
is  running.  The  lateral  edges  are  ornamented  with  deeply  incised  blackened 
creases,  while  the  under  side  bears  but  two  human  figures,  in  the  attitude  of 
boxing  or  sparring. 


960  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

DRILL  BOW.  Norton  Sound.  E.  W.  Nelson.  33181.  The  bow  is  curved  edgewise, 
plain,  with  the  exception  of  a  heavily  incised  crease  at  the  base  of  either  side. 
One  of  these  creases  shows  evidences  of  repeated  scratchings  with  a  iiuely 
pointed  tool. 

DRILL  BOW.  Norton  Sound.  E.W.  Nelson.  33182.  A  yellowish,  rather  old,  speci 
men  with  various  figures,  nearly  all  of  which  are  characteristic. 

DRILL  BOW.  Norton  Sound.  E.  W.  Nelson.  33183.  A  four- sided  round-edged  piece 
of  old  ivory,  13^  inches  in,  length,  upon  one  side  of  which  only  a  simple  figure 
occurs — that  of  a  man  with  his  anus  curved  and  hands  resting  on  his  hips. 

DRILL  BOW.  Norton  Sound.  E.  W.  Nelson.  33184.  This  bears  marginal  lines 
extending  from  end  to  end,  at  one  end  being  a  kaiak  with  a  single  hunter,  while 
at  the  other  are  four  inverted  umiaks;  apparently  not  a  finished  drawing. 

DRILL  BOW.  Norton  Sound.  E.  W.  Nelson.  33188.  Made  of  reindeer  horn,  and  is 
rather  thin  and  deeply  creased  on  either  edge  by  one  groove,  and  by  two  grooves 
upon  the  upper  and  under  sides.  The  lower  side  bears  sharply  incised  engrav 
ings  of  reindeer  hunting;  the  herd  of  animals  is  lying  down,  while  the  hunter 
is  crawling  up  on  all  fours,  being  hidden  by  a  hillock. 

DRILL  BOW.  Norton  Sound.  E.  W.  Nelson.  33189.  A  bow  made  of  reindeer  horn 
and  bears  sharply  defined  characters  of  boats,  sledges,  meat  racks,  etc. 

DRILL  BOW.  Norton  Sound.  E.W.  Nelson.  33190.  Bears  upon  convex  side  a  herd 
of  reindeer,  with  one  hunter  at  the  right  end  of  the  rod. 

BAG  HANDLE.     Kogik.    E.  W.  Nelson.     36375. 

DRILL  BOW.  Norton  Sound.  E.  W.  Nelson.  37178.  A  triangular  bow,  with  figures 
of  conventional  seals  along  the  lower  side;  conventional  T-shaped  whale  flukes 
along  a  horizontal  line  upon  the  one  side  of  the  upper  surface,  while  on  the 
other  side  are  the  conventional  rear  ends  of  whales,  with  the  flukes  projecting. 

KANTAG  HANDLE.     Norton  Sound.     E.  W.  Nelson.     37742.     Plate  14,  fig.  3. 

DRILL  BOW.  Shaktolik.  E.  W.  Nelson.  38521.  Bears  upon  one  side  nineteen  rein 
deer,  no  doubt  purely  for  decorative  purpose.  Upon  the  opposite  side  are  also 
twelve  reindeer,  though  heading  in  the  opposite  direction.  These,  too,  are  all 
alike,  or  nearly  so,  and  appear  to  be  intended  rather  for  decorating  the  bow  than 
as  a  record  only. 

DRILL  BOW.  Shaktolik.  E.  W.  Nelson.  38522.  Hunter  partly  obliterated,  but 
to  his  right  are  five  whale  flukes  setting  on  end  T-shaped  and  indicating  that 
number  of  whales  captured.  The  opposite  side — the  bow  being  made  to  stand 
edgewise — bears  a  reindeer  which  is  being  shot  at  by  a  hunter.  The  latter  ia 
lying  flat  and  aiming  with  a  gun.  At  the  other  end  are  three  granaries. 

BAG  HANDLE.  Shaktolik.  E.  W.  Nelson.  38523.  Six  inches  in  length  and  rather 
stout.  It  is  yellow  with  age,  and  boars  upon  the  upper  side  one  base  line,  to 
which  are  attached  eight  figures  of  concentric  circles  with  deep  central  pits. 

BAG  HANDLE.     Yukon  River.     ( ?)     38539.     Plate  38,  fig.  3. 

BAG  HANDLE.     Location  unknown.     38752.     Plate  31,  fig.  1. 

BAG  HANDLE.    Norton  Sound.     E.  W.  Nelson.     38776.     Plate  31,  fig.  4. 

DRILL  BOW.  North  of  Norton  Sound.  E.W.  Nelson.  38781.  Both  upper  and  lower 
sides  decorated  with  nucleated  rings,  the  central  perforations  or  incisions  being 
rather  deep.  The  circles  measure  three-eighths  and  five-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in 
diameter,  arranged  without  any  special  care  or  purpose,  simply  following  the 
general  horizontal  direction  of  the  faces.  One  edge  has  whale  flukes  and  the 
other  triangular  .summer  habitations  in  regular  order  and  apparently  for  dec 
orative  purposes  only. 

DRILL  BOW.  Port  Clarence.  T.  H.  Bean.  40054.  This  bow  bears  hunters  spearing 
seals  through  the  ice,  some  of  which  are  illustrated  elsewhere.  Upon  the  other 
side  are  several  figures  of  mythic  animals.  Upon  one  edge  is  a  village  of  tri 
angular-shaped  dwellings,  with  meat  rack  in  middle. 

KANTAG  HANDLE.     St.  Michaels.    E.  W.  Nelson.    43434.     Plate  80,  fig.  2. 


GRAPHIC    ART    OF    THE    ESKIMOS.  961 

DRILL  BOW.  Shaktolik.  E.  W.  Nelson.  43810.  Delicate  and  beautiful  engraving 
marks  this  as  very  superior  to  most  specimens.  The  reindeer  is  shown  on  one 
side;  delicately  engraved  umiaks  and  a  kaiak  are  on  the  next  adjoining  side, 
while  on  the  reverse  are  partly  obliterated  characters,  sho.wii  and  described  in 
text  in  figures. 

KANTAG  HANDLE.     Unalakleet.     E.  W.  Nelson.     43820.     Plate  58,  fig.  3. 

DRILL  now.     Nubuiakhchugaluk.     E.  W.  Nelson.     43931. 

KANTAG  HANDLE.     Nubuiakhchugaluk.     E.  W.  Nelson.     43936. 

DRILL  BOW.  Cape  Darby.  E.  W.  Nelson.  44206.  Much  curved  and  old  specimen. 
The  length  straight  across  from  point  to  point  is  14  inches,  while  the  height  of 
the  curve  is  4  inches.  Both  sides  are  decorated,  the  narrow  edges  having  only 
parallel  lines,  excepting  one  place  ornamented  with  an  umiak  containing  three 
persons  The  upper  side  bears  a  variety  of  delicately  engraved  figures,  occupied 
with  various  avocations,  and  many  of  them  represented  in  attitudes  to  denote 
action  and  gesture.  The  under  side  bears  a  herd  of  reindeer,  the  animals,  after 
passing  through  a  slough  or  river,  approaching  a  hunter  who  is  armed.  Beyond 
this  person  is  another  engaged  in  cutting  up  a  reindeer  which  is  lying  upon  its 
back.  At  the  right  side  are  four  other  reindeer  in  various  lifelike  attitudes. 

DRILL  BOW.  Cape  Darby.  E.  W.  Nelson.  44207.  Bears  a  few  coarsely  engraved 
characters,  at  one  end  being  the  upper  line  of  a  whale's  figure,  to  which  are 
attached  lines  like  fins  or  spines  from  the  head  down  toward  and  nearly  touch 
ing  the  flukes. 

DRILL  BOW.  Cape  Darby.  E.  W.  Nelson.  44208.  Walrus  hunting  and  scaffolded 
umiaks  are  shown  on  one  of  the  two  lower  surfaces,  the  upper  flat  surface  being 
without  any  engravings.  The  work  is  very  graphic,  and  some  of  the  boats  in 
the  water  are  scattered,  to  resemble  the  work  of  Japanese  artists — as  pertains  to 
an  attempt  at  perspective  in  this  instance.  The  specimen  is  shown  as  a  text 
figure. 

DRILL  BOW.     Cape  Darby.     E.  W.  Nelson.     44209.     Plate  24,  fig.  1. 

DRILL  BOW.  Cape  Darby.  E.  W.  Nelson.  44210.  Records  on  two  sides  consist 
almost  entirely  of  reindeer  in  various  attitudes,  and  some  very  lifelike.  A. few 
animals  are  drawn  foreshortened. 

DRILL  BOW.  Cape  Darby.  E.W.  Nelson.  44212.  Old  yellow  ivory  specimen,  deco 
rated  on  four  faces.  The  dorsal  surface  has  two  figures  incised  to  the  depth  of 
over  one-sixteenth  of  an  inch,  the  figures  consisting  of  rudely  drawn  animals 
and  human  beings. 

At  the  side  is  a  series  of  outlines  of  the  human  figure,  with  arms  in  various 
attitudes,  as  in  records  portraying  ceremonial  dances,  though  in  the  present 
instance  the  figures  appear  seated  upon  the  ground,  or  base  line.  Boats  and 
walruses  are  also  to  be  seen  nearer  the  right  end,  while  at  the  left  is  a  seal  hunt. 
Upon  the  opposite  side  are  several  umiaks,  going  toward  the  right,  in  pursuit 
of  a  whale.  In  the  middle  of  the  record  are  some  indefinite  outlines,  among 
which,  however,  may  be  detected  that  of  a  reindeer. 

The  under  side  bears  upon  it  a  number  of  animal  forms  at  the  left,  while  a 
well-drawn  whale  is  next  portrayed,  followed  by  another,  whose  body  is  thrown 
partly  from  the  water,  having  been  harpooned  by  a  hunter  in  the  pursuing  umiak 
at  the  right.  A  whale  fluke  projects  from  the  water  behind  the  boat,  while  two 
cubs  and  an  adult  bear  are  next  shown,  approaching  three  large  figures,  which 
seem  to  be  intended  for  heavily  robed  or  dressed  natives. 

DRILL  BOW.  Cape  Darby.  E.  W.  Nelson.  44213.  Upon  the  dorsum  of  this  piece 
is  a  group  of  ships  and  native  boats.  Rude  engravings  of  ships  occur  on  one 
side,  while  white  men's  houses  are  represented  at  other  portions. 

DRILL  BOW.     Cape  Nome.     E.  \V.  Nelson.     44366.     Delicate   and   sharp   engraving 
marks  this  specimen  as  characteristic  of  this  locality. 
The  herd  of  deer  shown  in  fig.  9  are  from  this  piece. 
NAT  MUS  95 61 


962  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL   MUSEUM,  1895. 

DRILL  BOW.  Cape  Nome.  E.  W.  Nelson.  44367.  Represents  a  walrus  hunt  and 
harpoon  throwing.  Illustrations  have  been  selected  from  this  rod  and  repro 
duced  in  connection  with  hunting  and  fishing. 

BAG  HANDLE.  Cape  Nome.  E.  W.  Nelson.  44398.  This  fine  large  specimen  has 
numerous  figures  of  flying  birds  and  human  forms  resembling  the  Ojibwa 
thunder  bird.  Whale  and  other  hunts  are  also  portrayed. 

DRILL  BOW.  Cape  Nome.  E.  W.  Nelson.  44399.  A  strong  piece  measuring  17-| 
inches  in  length.  The  two  flat  sides  and  one  lateral  edge  have  been  decorated. 

BAG  HANDLE.  Cape  Nome.  [E.  W.  Nelson.  ?]  44427.  Bears  crude  though  typical 
characters  of  umiak,  -f--like  bird  figures,  aud  several  human  figures.  The  speci 
men  is  yellow  and  considerably  worn. 

DRILL  BOW.  Cape  Nome.  E.  W.  Nelson.  44400.  A  narrow  specimen,  measuring 
13£  inches  in  length,  five-sixteenths  of  an  inch  high,  and  one-fourth  of  an  inch 
thick.  The  engravings  represent  walrus  hunting,  and  two  of  the  kaiaks  are 
unusually  interesting,  the  spear  rack  or  guard  being  indicated  in  the  first  kaiak, 
while  on  the  second  the  harpoon  line  is  shown  with  the  twists  and  curves  observ 
able  when  a  coiled  line  is  cast  out. 

DRILL  BOW.     Cape  Nome.     E.  W.  Nelson.     44401.     Plate  [23],  fig.  1. 

DRILL  BOW.  Cape  Nome.  (E.  W.  Nelson.  ?)  44464.  Interesting  from  the  fact  that 
both  slopes  of  the  under  surface  bear  rows  of  umiaks,  some  with  meats  and  some 
without,  so  placed  as  to  suggest  ornamentation  rather  than  an  attempt  to  record 
historic  or  other  information. 

Upon  the  upper  side  the  entire  length  is  also  divided  by  a  median  line.  Upon 
either  side  the  space  is  filled  with  various  figures,  such  as  camp  scenes,  dances, 
and  various  avocations. 

The  specimen  is  rather  yellow  with  age,  and  the  figures  partly  filled  with  a 
brownish  black  substance. 

DRILL  BOW.  Cape  Nome.  E.  W.  Nelson.  44465.  A  yellow,  old,  piece  of  ivory, 
with  a  sharp-lined  series  of  small  figures  at  the  end  upon  the  upper  edge  of 
the  bow.  There  are  five  swimming  seals,  rather  conventional  in  outline,  above 
which  three  birds  are  seen  in  the  forms  of  small  cross-like  characters.  Before 
these  is  a  figure  resembling  a  bear(  ?)  and  still  farther  forward  a  seal. 

DRILL  BOW.     Cape  Nome.     E.  W.  Nelson.     444^6.     Plate  24,  fig.  4. 

DRILL  BOW.  Cape  Nome.  (E.  W.  Turner.)  44467.  The  herd  of  deer  upon  the  upper 
curve  of  this  specimen  is  shown  as  a  text  figure.  The  lower  side,  and  the  edges 
also,  bear  camp  scenes,  while  various  human  figures  in  attitudes  of  gesture  are 
shown  on  the  side. 

KANTAG  HANDLE.     Sledge  Island.     E.  W.  Nelson.     44690. 

BAG  HANDLE.     Sledge  Island.     E.  W.  Nelson.     44691. 

BAG  HANDLE.  Sledge  Island.  E.  W.  Nelson.  44716.  Measures  but  5|  inches  in 
length,  and  bears  upon  the  top  some  conventional  "  trident"  tree  figures,  each 
placed  alternately  facing,  between  parallel  longitudinal  lines. 

KANTAG  HANDLE.     Sledge  Island.     E.  W.  Nelson.     44717. 

DRILL  BOW.  Sledge  Island.  E.  W.  Nelson.  45016.  Parts  of  this  are  reproduced 
in  text  figure.  The  lines  are  sharp  and  cleanly  incised.  One  pecularity  in  the 
figures  of  human  beings  on  records  from  Sledge  Island  is  that  the  heads  are  all, 
or  nearly  all,  made  by  boring  with  drill.  One  side  of  another  face  bears  an 
umiak  with  harpooned  whale,  following  a  neatly  engraved  white  umiak  con 
taining  3  figures. 

The  under  side  bears  some  obscene  figures,  or  rather  those  made  obscene  by 
gesture  and  additional  drawings. 

DRILL  BOW.  Sledge  Island,  E.  W.  Nelson.  45017.  The  figures  of  a  series  of  hab 
itations,  boats  on  racks,  and  umiaks  afloat,  are  all  neatly  and  definitely  incised. 
Upon  the  reverse  is  a  settlement  of  two  winter  habitations  and  one  scaffold, 
the  five  human  figures  being  portrayed  with  hands  and  arms  elevated,  slightly 
inclined  toward  the  left  end  of  the  bow,  seemingly  as  if  some  further  portion  of 
a  record  had  been  contemplated  but  not  executed.  The  color  employed  in  fill 
ing  the  incision  is  black,  and  the  entire  specimen,  and  engravings,  has  a  modern 
appearance. 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  963 

DRILL  BOW  OF  HORN.     Sledge  Island.     E.W.  Nelson.     45018. 

DRILL  BOW.  Sledge  Island.  E.  W.  Nelson  (?).  45019.  The  decorations  on  this 
interesting  specimen  are  reproduced  in  text  figure.  The  work  is  characteristic, 
the  dancers  only  resembling  the  deeply  engraved  figures  usually  found  on  the 
specimens  from  Kot/ebue  Sound. 

DRILL  BOW.  Sledge  Island.  E.  W.  Nelson.  45020.  This  old  specimen  presents  a 
whaling  fleet.  Upon  the  reverse  is  a  group  of  natives  fishing  through  the  ice, 
near  by  being  their  residence,  granary,  and  votive  offerings  stuck  up  upon  the 
entrance  to  the  house. 

DRILL  BOW.  Sledge  Island.  E.  W.  Nelson.  45025.  Upper  side  slightly  rounded, 
while  the  bottom  is  divided  in  two  sides  or  faces.  All  these  are  decorated  with 
sharp,  fine  lines,  characteristic  of  Cape  Nome  workmanship.  The  specimen  is 
very  yellow  and  has  an  old  appearance,  chiefly  because  of  the  signs  of  long- 
continued  use. 

KANTAG  HANDLE.     Sledge  Island.     E.  W.  Nelson.     45154. 

DRILL  BOW.     Cape  Nome.     E.  W.  Nelson.     45330. 

DRILL  BOW.  Cape  Nome.  E.  W.  Nelson.  45331.  An  old  piece  of  ivory  with  char 
acteristic  engravings.  The  type  is  recognized,  if  any  special  difference  may  be 
said  to  exist  between  this  and  other  localities,  by  the  thin,  though  sharply 
incised,  lines  and  brown-black  color  applied  to  bring  out  the  cavities.  A  great 
deal  of  gesticulation  is  always  represented  in  connection  with  the  portrayal  of 
the  human  figure. 

One  of  the  two  upper  faces  has  upon  it  a  herd  of  reindeer,  the  other  face  a  seal 
hunt,  while  the  bottom  has  the  drawings  of  buildings  and  storehouses  for  food. 

DRILL  BOW.  Cape  Nome.  E.  W.  Nelson.  45332.  A  triangular  slightly  curved  bow, 
17|  inches  in  length.  The  specimen  is  yellow  from  age  and  bears  the  delicate 
hair-like  incisions  or  engravings  characteristic  of  the  locality  from  which  it 
came.  Gestures  are  frequently  indicated,  though  the  chief  features  of  the  bow 
refer  to  reindeer  and  walrus  hunting.  At  one  end  is  a  dance,  the  performers 
being  drawn  in  various  attitudes. 

On  the  under  side  are  the  fine  lines  portraying  two  kaiaks  approaching  one 
another,  the  occupants  holding  aloft  their  paddles,  while  between  them  are  two 
seals.  A  little  farther  toward  one  side  is  an  umiak  with  five  occupants,  whose 
heads  and  faces  resemble  birds'  heads  with  long  sharp  bills. 

DRILL  BOW.     Cape  Nome.     E.  W.  Nelson.     45333. 

DRILL  BOW.  Cape  Nome.  E.  W.  Nelson.  45345.  Bears  herds  of  reindeer,  some 
browsing,  while  others  are  in  various  attitudes  upon  the  ground.  The  under 
side  bears  a  herd  of  reindeer  approaching  a  hunter.  At  the  right  end  are  two 
bears,  apparently  a  mother  with  its  cub. 

DRILL  BOW.  Cape  Nome.  E.  W.  Nelson.  45346.  Some  of  these  etchings  embody 
gesture  signs,  and  are  reproduced  in  connection  with  that  subject. 

DRILL  BOW.  Port  Clarence.  W.  H.  Dall.  46056.  Made  of  a  rib,  is  almost  12  inches 
across  from  tip  to  tip,  and  retains  a  thong  of  leather  for  drilling  purposes. 
There  are  no  decorations  of  any  description. 

DRILL  BOW.  Fort  Anderson.  R.  MacFarlane.  A  rounded  bow  1H  inches  long, 
resembling  the  preceding  in  smoothness  and  absence  of  decoration. 

DRILL  BOW.  Golovin  Bay.  E.  W.  Nelson.  48080.  A  specimen  yellow  with  age. 
No  decorations  appear  with  the  exception  of  two  parallel  lines  on  both  the  upper 
and  lower  surfaces.  The  handle  has  been  much  worn  by  long-continued  use. 

DRILL  BOW.  Cape  Darby.  E.  W.  Nelson.  48115.  An  old-looking  yellow  specimen, 
upon  which  is  the  whale  being  dragged  from  the  water  and  cut  up,  shown  in 
plate  67,  fig.  3. 

The  opposite  side  has  the  ceremonial  dance,  and  drummer  from  whose  instru 
ment  the  sound  is  represented  as  going  out  over  the  group  of  dancers.  Plate 
72,  fig.  2. 

KANTAG  HANDLE.     Cape  Darby.     E.  W.  Nelson.     48137. 


964  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

DRILL  BOW.  Kotzelme  Sound.  E.  W.  Nelson.  48518.  A  dark  yellow  specimen, 
crudely  and  heavily  engraved  with  ship,  walrus,  etc.  A  good  harpoon  line  and 
effect  of  cast  is  shown. 

DRILL  BOW.  Cape  Nome.  E.  W.  Nelson.  48330.  Bears  solid  herd  of  reindeer 
nearly  3  inches  long,  while  on  other  side  are  reindeer,  and  men  making  gestures 

DRILL  BOW.  Kotzelme  Sound.  E.  W.  Nelson.  48519.  An  old  and  very  yellow 
specimen  of  ivory.  Four  sides  of  the  piece  are  decorated  with  several  distinct 
styles  of  records.  The  upper  or  convex  side  bears  the  deeply  engraved  figures 
of  whaling  ships  foreshortened,  and  habitations,  probably  indicating  some 
trader's  establishment.  On  one  side  is  a  native,  drawn  lengthwise,  next  to  him 
being  portrayed  a  rack  with  meat  (fish)  suspended,  while  next  to  this  is  a  net 
stretched  out  for  drying. 

The  next  characters  resemble  the  curved  parallel  lines  used  by  the  Pueblo 
tribes  and  the  Ojibwa  to  denote  the  sky,  beneath  which  are  parallel  vertical 
lines  running  down  to  the  base  or  ground  line,  resembling  the  symbol  for  rain. 
The  present  figures  are  believed,  however,  to  denote  the  aurora  borealis,  a  like 
figure  having  been  drawn  for  the  present  writer  by  Naomoff  and  verified  by  a 
Malamut  Eskimo  in  California  at  the  same  time  when  the  investigations  were 
made  at  the  museum  of  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company. 

A  very  rudely  drawn  figure  of  a  winter  habitation,  with  smoke  issuing  from 
the  top,  is  shown  next  toward  the  right,  the  end  of  the  rod  bearing  smaller  fig 
ures  of  food  rack,  huts,  etc. 

The  under  side  of  the  rod  bears,  at  the  left,  two  dog  sledges  being  dragged 
forward,  and  preceded  by  nine  natives  running  toward  a  large  winter  habita 
tion.  These  natives  are  in  various  attitudes  to  represent  locomotion,  and  each 
has  a  projection  upon  the  head,  as  if  ornamented  with  a  plume,  though  it  may 
represent  the  top  of  the  furred  hood. 

The  engraving  is  generally  deep,  and  characteristic  of  the  locality  from  whence 
it  was  obtained. 

DRILL  BOW.     Kotzebue  Sound.     E.  W.  Nelson.    48520. 

DRILL  BOW.     Kotzebue  Sound.     E.  W.  Nelson.    48521. 

DRILL  BOW.  Kotzebue  Sound.  E.  W.  Nelson.  48522.  A  dark  yellow  specimen, 
apparently  very  old,  and  engraved  on  three  sides.  Figs.  —  are  from  this  piece. 
All  the  engravings  are  deeply  cut  and  blackened.  One  side  bears  15  seals,  14  of 
which  are  being  dragged,  the  entire  series  resembling  an  attempt  at  decorative 
results  rather  than  historic. 

DRILL  BOW.     Kotzebue  Sound.     E.  W.  Nelson.     48524. 

DRILL  BOW.  Norton  Sound.  E.  W.  Nelson.  48525.  This  bow  is  tinged  with  age, 
and  is  of  a  decided  orange  along  one  side.  Parts  of  the  engravings,  which  cover 
the  four  sides,  have  been  reproduced  in  plate  22,  fig.  3.  Many  parts  of  some  of 
the  engravings  have  become  so  worn  by  long-continued  use  as  to  be  too  indistinct 
to  admit  of  interpretation.  The  figures  are,  on  the  whole,  rather  deeply  and 
boldly  incised,  and  show  a  marked  likeness  to  the  rest  of  the  work  from  the 
locality  where  it  was  evidently  made. 

The  coloring  matter  in  the  incisions  has  assumed  a  deep  brown  color,  as  if  the 
original  black  had  become  covered  or  replaced  by  dirt  or  grease. 

DRILL  BOW.  Kotzebue  Sound.  E.  W.  Nelson.  48526.  Very  deep  and  strong 
engravings  on  old  ivory. 

DRILL,  OR  HANDLE.  Kotzebue  Sound.  E.  W.  Nelson.  48527.  This  old  stained 
piece  bears  upon  the  two  upper  sides  a  number  of  animal  forms,  one  row  being 
a  series  of  six  reindeer,  together  with  several  seals  and  whales.  A  native  in  his 
kaiak  is  represented  with  his  arms  uplifted,  and  probably  the  fingers  were  drawn 
spread,  use  of  specimen  having  worn  the  surface  smooth. 

One  underside  has  a  long  row  of  ten  wolves  and  one  reindeer,  faced  by  a 
hunter  shooting  an  arrow,  who  is  accompanied  by  two  other  hunters  and  a  dog. 
The  other  side  shows  a  whale  hunt  and  a  walrus  and  bear  hunt,  the  two  hunt 
ing  scenes  being  divided  by  a  narrow  vertical  line  bearing  delicate  cross- 
hatchings,  and  denotes  the  partition  of  the  two. 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  965 

DRILL  BOW.     Kot/ebue  Sound.    E.  W.  Nelson.     48528.     Plate  22,  fig.  2. 

DRILL  BOW.     Kotzebue  Sound.     E.  \V.  Nelson.     48527. 

DRILL  BOW.  Kot/ebue  Sound.  E.  W.  Nelson.  48530.  Specimen  deep  yellow  with 
age  and  use.  The  characters  are  deeply  incised  and  represent  very  heavy- 
bodied  reindeer.  Both  sides  are  decorated. 

DRILL  BOW.     Kotzebue  Sound.     E.  W.  Nelson.     48531.     Plate  21,  tig.  1. 

WORK  BAG  FASTENER.  .  Sabotnisky.  E.W.  Nelson.  48966.  Made  of  a  three-sided 
piece  of  ivory  in  which  the  corners  have  been  rounded  and  smoothed.  The 
ornamentations  are  sets  of  cross-lines,  to  the  center  of  which  are  short  lateral 
lines,  and  between  each  such  transverse  set  are  small  black  spots  and  crosses. 

DRILL  BOW.  Hothaui  Inlet.  E.W.  Nelson.  64153.  Apiece  originally  almost  square, 
but  by  perforating  at  the  ends,  from  beneath,  the  specimen  was  split  vertically. 
Both  sides  are  ornamented,  however,  one  side  with  but  a  few  scratches,  while 
the  other  has  a  very  interesting  whale  and  walrus  hunt. 

DRILL  BOW.  Hotham  Inlet.  E.  W.  Nelson.  64152.  An  old  specimen  with  four 
sides  crudely  engraved.  Shooting  with  firearms,  dragging  seals,  etc.,  comprises 
the  subjects  portrayed.  Three  whale's  flukes  are  also  erected,  to  denote  that 
animal,  while  a  dog  sledge,  with  very  rude  drawing  of  the  dog. 

DRILL  BOW.  Diomede  Island.  E.  W.  Nelson.  63621.  Only  9  inches  long  and 
averages  one-fourth  of  an  inch  square;  yet  the  four  sides  are  ornamented; 
three  have  lateral  longitudinal  border  lines,  between  which  are  recorded  mimer- 
ous  figures  of  umiaks  after  walrus  and  a  ceremonial  dance  with  one  drummer. 
On  another  side  is  a  village,  showing  summer  habitations  or  conical  houses, 
near  meat  racks,  some  boats,  etc.  The  under  side  bears  several  animal  forms, 
and  two  mythic  figures  resembling  the  water  monster,  i.  e.,  an  elongated  four- 
footed  and  horned  or  crested  serpent,  referred  to  by  Naornoff  in  connection  with 
fig.  139,  c. 

DRILL  BOW.  Diomede  Island.  E.  W.  Nelson.  63623.  Dark  yellow  or  light  brown 
piece  of  ivory.  The  four  engraved  sides  are  shown  in  text  figures. 

KANTAG  HANDLE.     Point  Hope.     E.  W.  Nelson.     63801. 

DRILL  BOW.  Point  Hope.  E.  W.  Nelson.  63802.  Very  crude  though  deeply  incised 
line,  composing  animals,  etc.,  is  shown  on  rather  white  ivory.  An  interesting 
whale  hunt  is  shown ;  the  flukes  appear  like  detached  decorative  ones,  attached 
to  the  rear  end  of  bodies. 

Flukes  are  also  shown  at  one  place;  while  a  native  crawling  along  on  his 
stomach,  to  approach  seals,  is  also  engraved. 

Upon  the  top  edge  are  four  birds,  four  different  forms  of  representing  them. 

BAG  HANDLE.  Point  Hope.  E.W.  Nelson.  63803.  The  undersurface  of  this  stained 
old  specimen  bears  the  figures  of  eleven  outstretched  hides,  at  the  right  being 
a  human  figure.  Upon  the  top  face  is  some  linear  decoration,  while  near  the 
middle  of  the  specimen  are  figures  of  four  reindeer,  facing  to  the  right.  Portions 
of  the  figures  are  without  the  brown-black  stain,  the  legs  being  slender  and 
the  hoofs  indicated  by  minute  etchings  made  by  a  sharp-pointed  graver. 

Upon  the  outer  curve  are  a  number  of  nucleated  rings,  33  in  number,  and 
each  three-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  The  under  side  bears  a  median 
line,  upon  which  are  portrayed,  in  various  attitudes,  nine  reindeer.  The  figures 
are  rather  deeply  incised  and  very  black.  The  coloring  matter  in  several  places 
has  fallen  out,  as  if  it  had  become  hard  or  dry. 

BAG  HANDLE.    Point  Hope.     E.  W.  Nelson.    63809. 

Bow  OR  HANDLE.  "Chilcat."  J.  J.  McLean.  67904.  An  almost  square,  slightly 
curved  specimen,  with  engravings  on  all  sides  excepting  the  under  or  concave 
one.  The  top  or  convex  surface  bears,  among  other  objects,  a  large  umiak,  the 
four  occupants  of  which  are  indicated  by  the  heads,  arms,  and  paddles  only,  the 
vertical  body  line  being  purposely  omitted  or  forgotten.  Some  conventional 
trees  are  used  as  ornamental  markings.  The  sides  bear  seal  hunts,  and  most  of 
the  records  have  been  reproduced  in  the  text. 


966  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

Each  side  is  ornamented  by  two  deeply  incised  grooves,  one  at  either  edge  of 
the  faces  of  the  bow,  and  the  engravings  are  deeply  and  forcibly  made,  all  being 
filled  in  with  black. 

Though  marked  as  from  "Chilcat,"  the  specimen  has  the  characteristic  appear 
ance  of  the  work  done  by  the  natives  of  Norton  Sound. 

BAG  HANDLE.  Point  Barrow.  Lieutenant  P.  H.  Ray,  U.  S.  A.  89420.  Measures 
14|  inches  in  length,  the  upper  surface  being  rather  flat,  while  the  under  side  is 
rounded  or  convex.  Upon  the  upper  surface  are  twelve  reindeer,  one  behind  the 
other  and  facing  the  left,  while  at  the  extreme  right  is  a  man  holding  a  bow 
drawn,  but  no  arrow  indicated;  while  at  the  extreme  right  is  a  figure  resembling 
an  outstretched  bearskin.  The  engravings  are  strongly  incised  and  greatly 
resemble  those  made  at  Norton  Sound  and  Kotzebue  Sound.  There  is  no  coloring 
matter  in  any  place,  and  it  is  believed  that  the  work  was  not  made  by  Point 
Barrow  natives,  but  secured  by  them  by  traffic  or  otherwise  from  some  locality 
farther  south  and  west  than  Point  Barrow. 

The  arrangement  of  the  reindeer,  the  apparent  similarity  in  all  respects,  and 
their  regular  spacing — between  the  figures — suggests  that,  although  the  record 
seems  to  be  intended  for  a  hunting  score,  it  was  also  made  with  a  view  to  pre 
senting  an  ornamental  and  decorative  appearance. 

DRILL  BOW.     Point  Barrow.     Lieutenant  P.  H.  Ray,  U.  S.  A.     89424.     Plate  3,  fig.  4. 

BONE  DRILL  i?ow.  Point  Barrow.  Lieutenant  P.  H.  Ray,  U.  S.  A.  89508.  Made  of 
a  rib,  measures  12£  inches  across  from  point  to  point,  and  is  rather  rudely  made. 
Bears  no  decoration. 

DRILL  BOW.  Point  Barrow.  Lieutenant  P.  H.  Ray,  U.  S.  A.  89777.  Bears  a  ver 
tical  line  with  radiating  lines  from  one  side  only.  The  ivory  is  pieced  near  one 
end  to  lengthen  the  bow;  the  coloring  matter  is  pale,  but  consisted  of  a  reddish 
substance  resembling  red  ocher. 

DRILL  BOW.  St.  Michaels.  L.  M.  Turner.  129223.  Ornamented  on  lower  side  by  a 
"solid"  herd  of  reindeer,  wolves,  seals,  walrus,  and  other  animals.  The  inci 
sions  are  deeply  cut  and  are  left  uncolored,  appearing  light  yellowish  gray  as 
compared  with  the  dark  surrounding  surface.  Made  of  reindeer  horn. 

DRILL  BOW.  Location  not  given.  M.  M.  Ilazen.  154071.  Whaling  ships  in  pur 
suit  of  whales  and  a  walrus.  An  Innuit  village  is  at  the  right.  On  the  other 
side  are  very  deeply  engraved  figures  of  habitations,  umiaks  on  scaffold,  etc. 
The  character  of  work  resembles  that  of  Kotzebue  Sound. 

MISCELLANEOUS  AND  VARIED  SPECIMENS. 

The  following  are  miscellaneous  specimens,  embracing  tools,  imple 
ments,  utensils,  toys,  etc.,  all  of  which  are  variously  marked  with  etch 
ings  of  animals,  villages,  occupations,  and  in  many  instances  only  with 
lines,  dots,  and  circles,  to  illustrate  the  application  of  such  figures  for 
the  purpose  of  simple  ornamentation. 

"  CORD  BUTTON."     Intrusive  carving. 

SAW.     Anderson  River.     C.P.Gaudet.     [1304.]     Plate  17,  fig.  2. 

BONE  TOY.     Yukon  River.     W.  H.  Dall.    5610. 

IVORY  SLAB.     Fort  Anderson.     R.  MacFarlaue.     7454. 

BELT  CLASP.     Eskimo  Innuit.     W.  H.  Dall.     16140. 

PENDANT  FOR  EAR.     Nunivak.      E.  W.  Nelson.     16199.     Magemut  ear  pendant  of 

ivory,  marked  with  spiral  line  from  one  end,  around  the  body  to  the  other 

extremity. 

ROUND  BOX/  Norton  Sound.  L.M.Turner.  24352.  Plate  34,  fig.  3. 
IVORY  CASKET.  St.  Michaels.  L.M.Turner.  24606.  Plate  25,  fig.  1. 
SPEAR  STRAIGHTENER.  Kowak  River.  Lieutenant  Stoney.  27893. 


GRAPHIC  ART  OF  THE  ESKIMOS.  967 

HOOK.     Location  not  given.     L.  M.  Turner.     29618. 

THIMBLE  HOLDER.     Norton  Sound.     L.  M.  Turner.     29731. 

WOODEN  BOX.     Norton  Sound.     E.  W.  Nelson.     33077.     Plate  34,  tig.  2. 

BODKIN.     Norton  Sound.     E.W.  Nelson.     33176.     Plate  24,  fig.  5. 

BODKIN.     Norton  Sound.     E.  W.  Nelson.     33177.     Plate  24,  fig.  6. 

SNUFFBOX.     Norton  Sound.     E.W.  Nelson.     33197. 

BONE  ICE  GUARD.     Norton  Sound.     E.W.  Nelson.     33219.     Used  to  put  over  bow  of 

kaiak  to  keep  off  ice,  or  injury  to  vessel.     Plate  41,  fig.  3. 
BODKIN.     Norton  Sound.     E.  W.  Nelson.     33257. 
DRAG  HANDLE.     Norton  Sound.     E.W.  Nelson.     33292. 

Bow  STRENGTHENER.     Norton  Sound.     E.W.  Nelson.     33309.     Plate  14,  fig.  5. 
Bow  STRENGTHENER.     Norton  Sound.     E.  W.  Nelson.     33310.     Plate  14,  fig.  7. 
Bow  STRENGTHENER.     Norton  Sound.     E.  W.  Nelson.     33311.     Plate  14,  fig.  4. 
Bow  STRENGTHENER.     Norton  Sound.     E.  W.  Nelson.     33312.     Plate  14,  fig.  6. 
ORNAMENTED  BONE.     Norton  Sound.     E.  W.  Nelson.     33315.     Plate  14,  fig.  1. 
BEAVER  CARVED  OF  BONE.     Norton  Sound.    E.  W.  Nelson.     33356. 
BELUGA  CARVED  OF  BONE.     Norton  Sound.     E.  W.  Nelson.     33373. 
EAR  PENDANTS.     St.  Michaels.     E.  W.  Nelson.     33491. 
GRAYLING.     Norton  Sound.     E.  W.  Nelson.     33535. 
BONE  ORNAMENT.     St.  Michaels.     ?    33640. 
CARVING.     Aleutian  Islands.     L.M.Turner.     35900. 
SHUTTLE.     Aleutian  Islands.     L.  M.  Turner.     35908. 
EARRING  HOLDER.     Agaiyukchugumut.     E.  W.  Nelson.     36011. 
SEINE  THIMBLE  HOLDER.     Kushunuk.     E.W. Nelson.     36452. 
IVORY  ORNAMENT.     Kushkunuk.     E.W. Nelson.     36477. 
EARRINGS.     Askenuk.     E.  W.  Nelson.     36861. 
HAIR  ORNAMENT.     Kushunuk.     E.  W.  Nelson.     37003.     Fig.  3  of  plate  42,  and  bears 

diagonal  cross  lines  at  top,  and  two  concentric  rings  at  each  lower  lobe. 
IVORY  BUCKLE.     Agaiyukchugumut.     E.W. Nelson.     37007. 
"  HANDLE."    Chalitmut.     E.W.  Nelson.     37319. 
CARVED  ORNAMENT.     Anogogumut.     E.  W.  Nelson.  .  37431. 
SPEAR  GUARD.     Anogogumut.     E.  W.  Nelson.     37461. 
CARVING  OF  SEAL.     Unalakleet.     E.W.  Nelson.     37610. 
IMPLEMENT.     Konigunogumut.     E.  W.  Nelson.     37664. 
BODKIN.     Chalitmut.     E.W.  Nelson.     37752.     An  ivory  handle  with  steel  point  and 

ivory  links.     Ornamented  with  concentric  rings  and  fiower  symbols.     Plate  41, 

fig.  6. 

SPEAR  GUARD.     Chalitmut.     E.  W.  Nelson.     37759. 
BUCKLE.     Kongigunogumut.     E.  W.  Nelson.     37763. 
EAR  PENDANTS.     Spugunugunmt.     E.  W.  Nelson.     38052. 
BONE  SEINE  NEEDLE.     Lower  Yukon.     E.W.  Nelson.     38318. 
HARPOON  HEAD.     Shaktolik.     38440. 

BONE  SEINE  NEEDLE.     Fort  Yukon.     E.W.  Nelson.    38501. 
HAT  ORNAMENT.     Kushunuk.     E.  W.  Nelson.     38720. 
"HUNTING  TALLY."    Point  Barrow.     Lieutenant  P.  H.  Ray,  U.  S.  A.     89487.     Plate 

58,  fig.  1. 

THIMBLE  GUARD.     St.  Michaels.     E.  W.  Nelson.     43459.    Plate  35,  fig.  1. 
TOY  FISH.     Cape  A'ancouver.     E.  W.  Nelson.     43593.     Bone  fish  U  inches  in  length, 

flattened  with  pictograph  of  wolf  (?)  and  trident  figure,  also  other  ornament 

upon  upper  side,  with  human  figure  below. 
IVORY  WEDGE.    Nunevak  Island.     E.W.  Nelson.    43738. 
THIMBLE  GUARD.     Unalakleet.     E.  W.  Nelson.     43861.     Plate  35,  fig.  6. 
HARPOON  HEAD.     "Alaska."    E.  W.  Nelson.     43949. 
SCRAPER.     Cape  Darby.     E.  W.  Nelson.    44180. 
WOODEN  BOX.     Cape  Nome.     E.  W.  Nelson.     44457. 
TOBACCO  BOX.     Sledge  Island.     E.  W.  Nelson.     44766. 


968  REPORT    OF    NATIONAL    MUSEUM,  1895. 

IVORY  GAMBLING  STICKS.  Sledge  Island.  E.  W.  Nelson.  45006.  These  have  very 
thin  lines  engraved  upon  them,  not  with  any  reference  to  the  value  of  the  sticks, 
but  made  probably  during  an  interval  of  idleness  to  while  away  time.  The 
characters  represent  rudely  and  carelessly  drawn  habitations,  while  in  one 
instance  they  are  the  outlines  of  human  pigmies. 

GREASER.     Sledge  Island.     E.  W.  Nelson.    45140. 

SAW.     Port  Clarence.     T.  H.  Bean.     46145.     Plate  17,  tig.  1. 

COMB.     Cape  Prince  of  Wales.     E.  W.  Nelson.     48174. 

WEDGE.  Nunevak  Island.  E.  W.  Nelson.  48289.  Ivory  '•  splitter  or  wedge"  for 
splitting  small  pieces  of  wood. 

FUNGUS  ASH  BOX.     Kotzebue  Sound.     E.  W.  Nelson.     48558. 

NETTING  SHUTTLE.     Lower  Yukon.     E.  W.  Nelson.     48715. 

CARVING  OF  FLOUNDER.     Unalakleet.     E.  W.  Nelson.     43786. 

IVORY  ROD.  Kotzebue  Sound.  E.  W.  Nelson.  48532.  This  specimen  is  pointed  at 
one  end  and  has  perforation  at  the  other.  Three  sides  are  decorated  in  deep 
black  stained  characters  of  various  marine  animals.  The  spaces  between  some 
of  the  objects  are  filled  in  with  nucleated  circles. 

EFFIGY  OF  SEAL.     Kotzebue  Sound.     (?)    48642. 

ORNAMENT.  Bristol  Bay.  C.  L.  McKay.  55909.  Efifigy  of  seal,  with  rings  and 
bristles  inserted  by  means  of  pegs. 

IVORY  FISH.     Point  Barrow.     Lieutenant  P.  H.  Ray,  U.  S.  A.    56578. 

THREAD  CASE.     [Locality  ?  ]     Lieutenant  P.  H.  Ray,  U.  S.  A.    56615. 

"MOUTHPIECE."    Diomede  Islands.     E.W.  Nelson.     63666. 

"MOUTHPIECE."    Diomede  Islands.     E.  W.  Nelson.     63667. 

Box  FOR  SNUFF.     Hothani  Inlet.    E.  W.  Nelson.     64186. 

EFFIGY  OF  WALRUS.    Nashagak.    E.  L.  McKay.    72904. 

HOUSE  HOOK.    Alaska  (?).     C.  L.  McKay.     73034. 

"  BONE  SKIN  DRESSER."    Sitka.     John  J.  McLean.    74954. 

ARROW  STRAIGHTENER.     Kowak  River.     Lieutenant  G.  M.  Stoiiey,  U.  S.  N.     127893. 

POWDER  HORN.     St.  Michaels.     L.  M.  Turner.     129221. 

PICTOGRAPH  ON  BONE.     St.  Michaels.     L.  M.  Turner.     129277. 

ORNAMENTED  IVORY  ROD.     St.  Michaels.    L.  M.  Turner.     129284. 

THIMBLE  HOLDER.    St.  Michaels.    E.  W.  Nelson.     129314. 

MONEY  BOX  OF  BONE.    Hupa  Islands.    J.  Curtin.     131159. 

IVORY  PENDANT.     Nunevak  Island.     E.  W.  Turner.     16199. 

BONE  SKIN  DRESSER.     Thlingit  Islands.     Lieutenant  G.  F.  Emmons,  U.  S.  N.     168358. 

BONE  SKIN  DRESSER.     Thlingit  Islands.     Lieutenant  G.  F.  Einmous,  U.  S.  N.     168360. 

BONE  ORNAMENTS.    Thlinkit.    Lieutenant  G.  F.  Emmons,  U.  S.  N.    168372. 

DAGGER  SHEATH.  Tangier,  Morocco.  Lieutenant  A.  P.  Niblack,  U.  S.  N.  168827. 
Plate  44. 


1 


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